DeKALB – Just because Studio One Salon & Spa turned 35 this year doesn’t mean it’s an old business, owner Jane Levinsky said.
On the contrary, it has much more to offer, she said.
“I feel like we have the potential to keep growing,” Levinsky said. “Opportunities don’t automatically present themselves at year one, year two, year four. We worked at what we do to get better.”
Studio One evolved from a three-woman, two-chair operation in the back of another hair salon 35 years ago. Since that time, “it’s evolved quite a bit from then to now,” Levinsky said, describing the shift from hair care to health and wellness.
“We were the first to bring spa service to the county,” said Levinsky, describing how the spa experience can serve as a “little escape” for customers.
Monday, the salon had a holiday open house at its 1007 N. First St. location. Everyone who came in was given a bag filled with discounts and different samples. Throughout the salon, customers interacted with the salon’s employees and each other.
“I remember when she was in junior high and high school,” longtime friend Deirdre Mihm said. “She took her passion and dream and turned it into a reality.”
Levinsky said her staff of 25 places a strong focus on education, which allows employees to pay attention to trends, the quality of their work and communicating with their customers.
“The education we have on those levels sets us apart,” Levinsky said.
Also setting the salon apart has been its involvement with one of the premier fashion events in the country. Five of the salon’s hairstylists went to New York for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. This is the second year the salon has participated in the event.
It’s also the only salon in Illinois that uses and sells Tela Beauty Organics, a line of beauty products that is certified by the U.S. Agriculture Department to be organic. Christie Ruggles, a salon consultant with Tela who attended Monday’s open house, said her company was impressed by Levinsky’s knowledge, skill and business success.
“We were so impressed by her staff, the work they do, their art, and their building and how beautiful it is,” Ruggles said.
Levinsky said the fact she has been operating her salon for this long speaks volumes about the support she has received.
“To be a woman in this profession for this long, I think it says a lot about the support we have from the community,” Levinsky said.
If you go
What: Studio One Salon & Spa
Where: 1007 N. First St. in DeKalb
When: Monday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday – 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday – Closed
More information: Call 815-758-4508 or visit www.studioonesalonspa.com
