I have always had a great interest in the art of styling hair. When I was a little girl I would fashion my doll's hats into my hair. When I was in middle school I began experimenting with homemade hair coloring techniques with a large degree of failure. By the time I entered into high school I was convincing my mom and any friend I could get my hands on to let me use my highly underdeveloped brilliance of cutting and coloring hair on them. This usually resulted in many trips to and from Beauty Co. (Nowadays, there is Sally's). This was the pattern of my obsession with hair for several years until 2003 when I officially entered into the beauty industry.
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Upon embarking in this industry, I soon realized the tragedy I had bestowed on so many of the people near and dear to me. It became highly important to me to truly intensify my skills. The first step I took in this process was to assist a local salon owner and hair stylist, Estrella Elliot of the Velvet Monkey Salons here in Oklahoma City. It was there that I first experienced the reality of working in a salon and hairstyling for a fashion show. The stylists in the salon studied the then artistic director (Now Director) of Paul Mitchell, Robert Cromeans. It wasn't long before I fell in love with the industry and was inspired by the creative works of Paul Mitchell. This is what I wanted to be.
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Naturally the next step in my journey was to apply for an assistant position at the newest of five A Robert Cromeans Salons (ARCS) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They invited this starry-eyed girl to move to Tulsa and be trained by some of the leading stylists in the industry. I enthusiastically accepted, packed my bags, and departed on this strenuous voyage. They broke down everything that I thought I knew about styling hair and rebuilt me into a Professional Hair Stylist. I thought I knew about fashion shows, but I had never been behind the scenes of one for 5,000 hair professionals! I lived and breathed hair in the most literal since. It was a whirl wind. At the end of my training, I had decided that I longed for my home town of Oklahoma City too much and it was time for me to go.
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Downtown Oklahoma City was and is undergoing a massive restructuring for residential living and Estrella had just opened a new downtown location. She offered me a place to get grounded and begin to build my business, as well as, join in on some local hair shows. During this time I entered into a degree program for journalism, so I could not only be a part of an industry that has called out to me for so many years, but I could share it with others. With this, the growing I always have pursued continued.
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Inevitably the time came for me to branch out on my own. I found a small salon of booth renters owned by a 30 year veteran, Mona Neighbors, called Le Fringe Salon. I am currently still working on my degree, developing a web site, doing photo shoots with a fabulous photographer (among many other things!) Grace Marzioli, and I am still at Le Fringe styling hair in downtown Oklahoma City.
My goal as a hair stylist is to offer a service that is suited for each person's lifestyle and daily needs. I would like to not only give people a style that enhances the beautiful qualities that are already in play but is something that can be recreated at home. The environment I offer is a professional one, as well as, a personal one. I strive to keep it fun and interesting while educating people on how to take the salon experience home with them. I love and enjoy my profession and you should love and enjoy your hair!
Assimilation returns to the Marquee on Saturday, August 23rd!
We will be giving away a pair of tickets to see The Cruxshadows, Ayria, I:Scintilla & Sever the Feeling in concert on September 12th! This prize will be given to the best dressed! Be creative!
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