For the past 10 years, Essence Salon and Spa has been styling the hair of Moscow community members from all walks of life.
Katie Lazzarini, the owner of Essence Salon and Spa, said one of her favorite parts of styling hair is getting a glimpse into the life of who sits in her chair.
“There are so many professions that I get to learn about on a day-to-day basis,” Lazzarini said.
Tess Fox | Argonaut
Stylists work with clients on March 4 at Essence Salon in Moscow.
Kaitlan Brown, a stylist for Essence, also finds that meeting the residents of Moscow makes her workday as a hairstylist unique and interesting.
“There are so many different kinds of professions that walk through our door,” Brown said. “The fact that I get the chance to meet lots of different people and hear all about their lives is what makes my job so interesting.”
Anna Breed, a client of Essence for the past ten years, said the salon now feels like a sort of family member to the 11 employees that work in the salon.
“Coming to see friends is the best part,” Breed said. “It is nice to be around people who know your name and your personality.”
Hairstylists often act as therapists for their clients, hearing the most personal details of their lives. For employees of Essence Salon and Spa, their days are filled with haircuts as well as casual therapy sessions.
“Sometimes clients just want to talk about their day, and they just want someone to listen for a while,” said Gordon Mellott, an Essence stylist.
Lazzarini said salons often have a very similar feel, but Essence tries hard to create a unique feeling for its clients. Keeping a good energy in the salon is a must for her, which she says also applies to the staff.
“Sometimes when you think of salons, they can either be really quiet or people are talking about daily drama,” Lazzarini said. “I think our culture here, employee wise, is very supportive, and clients feel that when they come in.”
Brown said it is the vibe of the salon that brings people in and makes them comfortable to relax while getting their hair styled and converse with those around them.
Along with creating personal relationships with clients, the staff of Essence connects with the community as a whole as well.
Lazzarini said perhaps the most rewarding aspect of her job is going out into the community to engage with Moscow residents and helping out at community events.
“We do a lot of outreach with the community, but the Moscow Raid fashion show is always a blast,” Mellott said.
Along with connecting with the community, Essence has also become an educational business.
Early this year, Essence began a program to help young cosmetologists who are straight out of school become accustomed to the actual business of being a stylist.
“It is scary to be fresh out of school, so we like to help with the process,” Lazzarini said. “We aren”t a large corporation, which helps us to help them.”
The tradition of creating a welcoming and energetic environment for Essence clientele seems to be what makes the salon a hot spot.
“We all love doing hair, but I think that making someone feel happy while in here, and having them walk out the door feeling beautiful and good about themselves when they walk out the door, is the best part of owning a salon,” Lazzarini said.
Hailey Stewart can be reached at [email protected]