The pandemic has impacted each and every one of us in countless ways. With changes on all spectrum of daily life, work and business — each person’s experience has been unique. Among many others, the hair industry has been especially hit hard with much of the strain being felt on the individual salons and stylists. We wanted to give Love Culture Salon (@loveculturesalon) from Providence, RI, the ability to tell their story. From opening and running a salon during the pandemic to staying motivated and lending a hand to others in need. Keep reading to learn more about their triumphant story, giving us all just another reminder of why we love this industry.
Our Story
Love Culture was born out of a collaborative vision between myself, Jamie Millmather, a brand educator for the Wella Company, and Kate Convery, a razor cutting and lived-in color specialist. We wanted to open a salon that defied the typical “salon” vibe, something that was more of an immersive experience, where positive vibes aren’t just a hashtag, but a mindset and way of life. A great cut and color can make a big difference, but empowering the person wearing it is what makes the change, and that is the evolution of what we can do as beauty professionals. We built a creative space where individual style and freedom of expression combine. It’s an environment where stylists can work, learn, grow and be inspired — that’s what we are most passionate about.
Our Salon
Being able to open our salon has been a dream come true and we are so grateful to be able to sustain a salon in these times. We have so much gratitude for our amazing clients who have stuck with us on this journey. From our friends, family, and landlord to our UPS driver, postman, and countless others that have helped our business survive despite struggling themselves. It is that love and support that means everything to us.
The New Normal
The pandemic definitely threw a different iron in the fire. Every day presents a different challenge with scheduling, consultations, and navigating the overall energy of each guest coming into our salon. However, we agreed that perspective is everything (not to say we don’t have our bad days, defeated days and days of overwhelming emotion,) but we try to turn negatives into positives in any way that we can.
It has been exhilarating exploring all the different creative outlets and sharing our journey through social media. Creating a collaborative video with stylists from all over the world was probably one of our favorite projects to date, and we have also had fun finding new ways to connect with other stylists and support our community through fundraising with various organizations.
What We’re Looking Forward To:
As of right now, I am looking forward to creating my collection for the Beauty Envision Awards, and Kate can’t wait for the spring/summer season to have more opportunities for collaborative photoshoots! We are hoping to host and take more classes, and definitely to be able to travel freely again!
We are truly excited about the potential of what the future can bring. Every day we can get up, be healthy, go to work and do what we love is another step towards a bright future. We just can’t wait to see our clients faces again and see expressions of all kinds. As important as it is to look ahead it’s also so important to be present so when the future comes you are ready for all it has to offer.
Be sure to follow Love Culture Salon's story on social media @loveculturesalon and spread a little love!
