“People watching the show are going to see the fact that we were very professional and that we can do some hair,” said stylist Dr. Jennices.
“And can you emphasize that ‘r’ in hair like we do in St. Louis?”
While Black St. Louis’ heavy “r” annunciation is an identifying local trademark associated with us across the nation, our city is not necessarily recognized when “hair capitals” come to mind.
But thanks to the Shi Salon team making the most of their national television exposure via the Style network’s hit show Split Ends, St. Louis will definitely be given a look in the industry.
Shi’s segment of the series just finished filming a few weeks back. The show will air on the channel – which has become a premiere resource for fashion and beauty – beginning August 8.
The show’s format swaps stylists at different salons from different areas in the country. In “survival of the fittest” mode, they are forced to adapt to the atmosphere of the salon where they are being fostered.
For five days stylists wear microphones, and their interactions with clients, staff and each other are documented for the world to see.
According to Shi salon owner Marie Simone, the producers were looking to create a “country mouse in the big city” format by switching her stylists out with the Elgin Charles salon of Beverly Hills. But even before the filming began, it became apparent to the Split Ends producers that they had stumbled upon something special in Shi.
“They usually only pick one stylist, but they loved the personalities so much that they picked three,” Simone said of the video entries submitted by her salon.
Jennices, Skylar (apprentice) and Abra packed their bags and headed to the Charles’ salon, whose elite clientele and reputation preceded itself.
The three traveled to the West Coast empty-handed; they weren’t allowed to bring their own equipment or products.
“It was fun, but at first it was challenging because of their perception of St. Louis,” Simone said. “They really thought that we were down here on horses and cows.”
Instead of a reality TV version of The Beverly Hillbillies set in a salon, it was the Shi family that ended up schooling the resident stylists.
“They really embraced us, but the people in the salon there thought that we were going to be doing ‘crunchy’ updos and ‘hard’ hair,” Jennices said. “The funny thing about it is that we came in their house with their products and their tools and did their clients better than they could ever think about doing.”
Her confidence is warranted considering that the salon has been featured in Jet Magazine, Black Hair Magazine, Complex Magazine and a national ad for Bakers shoes since they opened in 2001. Celebrities, including Keyshia Cole and Bianca from America’s Next Top Model, are included among their clientele.
While Jennices and the others were in California, Tiffany Johnson was one of the stylists who played host to Charles’ stylist swap.
“I expected that they would be more high-fashion and trendy,” Johnson said. “When they got here, they let me down. They were doing styles and techniques that we did years ago.”
While Johnson considers her experience on the show to have been a great learning experience, she felt that the visiting stylists learned more from them than vice versa. She believes that the most important lesson the Charles staff took back to Beverly Hills was the level of decorum collectively offered at Shi.
“I think the stylists saw how to be more professional and have more of a positive attitude,” Johnson said.
Positivity doesn’t necessarily equal ratings, so producers served as agitators every now and again. But even in the situations that were less for reality and more for TV, the Shi ladies worked to keep their cool on camera.
“They did things to try to piss us off,” Simone said. “But even when drama arises, our clients were first and we don’t handle drama on the floor.”
Filming has wrapped and the fate of Shi is now in the hands of crafty editors. But the Shi stylists are bracing themselves for the best.
“We did something good for the city by showing that we are talented, creative, out-of-the-box thinkers who specialize in hair care and hair health,” Simone said. “Because the industry doesn’t look at us like that.”
“I hope the show shows that we are trendsetters and that can go forward,” Johnson said. “Hopefully the show will bring the St. Louis stylists together as one to do more collectively.”
Shi Salon’s segment of Split Ends will air on the Style Network beginning August 8. Visit www.mystyle.com for more information.
Shi Salon is located at 1900 Olive in Downtown St. Louis. For more information, call (314) 588-9948 or visit www.shisalon.com.
