Two black stylists open shops in lofts
By Bill Beene
Of the St. Louis American
Two African-American stylists and salon owners this weekend celebrated their piece of Downtown development as the once-blighted area continues to grow.
Hope Lynn celebrated opening her Halo Salon and Spa on Friday and Christopher Stevens The Salon had its party on Saturday.
Both salons are located inside of residential lofts.
Lynn’s is located in the lower level of the Roberts Lofts at 905 Locust, and Steven’s is nestled on the first floor of The Lofts at 2020, 2020 Washington Blvd.
Both agree that occupying spaces inside of residential lofts offers somewhat of a built-in clientele boost.
“They can just walk right down stairs and get services done,” said Hope Lynn, who also mentioned hotel guests as potential clients.
“People are always coming to St. Louis, and there are so many surrounding hotels,” she said.
Christopher Stevens said it’s been hard getting the word out about his salon, but newsletters by St. Louis Downtown Partnership, The Green Sheet and an email listserv throughout the loft have helped.
Still, he says he’s been servicing a lot of people in the building, and Downtown is the location he fingered when he became a stylist after barbering for 14 years.
“I was going for a different market and clientele and thought I’d find it here,” he said. “It’s a striving area where young professionals are migrating to, and that’s the core clientele I’m trying to attract.”
Christopher Stevens was previously located in North County, where he operated as a barber under his birth name, Steven Lacy. When he became a stylist, he assumed a more suitable name.
His chic and sexy 1,638-square-foot, six-station salon specializes exclusively in hair: healthy hair, precision haircuts, color and ceramic fusion techniques.
“We just focus on hair,” said Christopher Stevens, who after becoming a stylist studied in London at Vidal Sassoon and became a technician for Design Essentials.
Hope Lynn’s swank and cozy, five-station salon, on the other hand, provides manicure, pedicures, massage therapy, waxing and makeup.
Tamica Barsh, a local fashion designer and client, said the salon had a cool and laid-back atmosphere that will be even better once nearby renovations are complete.
“The salon is really nice, but the best thing about it is Hope Lynn,” Barsh said.
“Anybody can have a nice salon, but if the stylists aren’t good, what good is it? So Hope Lynn is the best thing about it – she’s really good.”
Hope Lynn is a six-year stylist, who worked in one of Beverly Hills’ top salon when she resided in Los Angeles.
There she got gigs outside of the salons on TV shows, motion picture sets, commercials, fashion shows and bridal affairs and weddings.
Brandy Gates, a St. Louis transplant who moved here three years after college in Shreveport, Louisiana and grew up in the California Bay Area, said salons in her hometown aren’t as classy as the ones in St. Louis.
She called Christopher Stevens salon a really nice establishment.
“The presentation is very professional, the equipment is up-to-date and it has a lounge feel with all the couches,” said Gates, who attended the party on Saturday.
“Most of the ones where I come from aren’t classy like that,” Gates said. “Girls are younger and don’t have a business mindset, so it’s more about them than the customers.”
Gates also noticed that while Downtown St. Louis isn’t as lively as downtown Oakland and San Francisco, she’s noticing and likes the rapid growth.
Virvus Jones, vice president of real estate for Roberts Cos., which owns Roberts Lofts, said having more salons in the Downtown is helping the area become “more of a neighborhood.”
