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She’s lit wedding dresses on fire, dyed her hair blue and studied everything from belly-dancing to sign-language. But would you expect less from a girl who for seven years has been producing avant-garde hair shows?

Today the shows feature live music, choreography, lighting concepts, not to mention outrageous hair design by some of the top stylists in the city. Last year’s show at SoGo Live! brought in 300 people.

Chaney (everyone calls her Susie) doesn’t seem like a small-town girl who graduated from Zachary High School. But her parents are both film industry veterans, so it’s clear where she gets her creativity.

“I was supposed to be famous,” she jokes. “I was 18 years old and somebody was supposed to knock on my door and make me famous.”

No one knocked. On a whim she enrolled in cosmetology school at Lockworks Academy. After graduation, Lockworks hired her as a stylist, and then she became an assistant on owner Sam Brocato’s artistic team. Chaney got to travel to hair shows across the country.

“That’s when it happened - I was like, ‘wow, I love this,’” she recalls. “The people I met were amazing and creative and artistic. It wasn’t just about the hair, it was art. Being from a small town I never knew this existed.”

She was so inspired she returned to Baton Rouge and now hosts annual shows to raise money to benefit spina bifida research, working closely with a dedicated team of stylists, choreographers and volunteers. This year’s theme: “Rock the Okia,” a twist on the traditions of geisha women. “Sometimes words fail me because I honestly don’t know what I did to deserve this in my life,” she said. “My team is great and everybody involved is so willing to help and so willing to be part of such a really cool thing.”

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