Song Montesinos and Naomi Richardson of Modesty Salon.
July 5, 2010 | Yvonne Lim Wilson
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A friendship that started thirteen years ago has evolved into a partnership with Modesty Hair Studio, 1200 E. 11th Street, Ste. 102, which opened in February and celebrated a grand opening party in June.
Naomi Vigil Richardson and Song Montesinos started out as salon receptionists, went through beauty school together and worked side by side as stylists.
Over the years, they were kicking around ideas to improve the salon experience and incorporate “green” practices, and in November, they decided to go for it.
“We’ve been talking about this for years,” Song said.” In November, we were like, why not?”
Going green was a huge part of their inspiration, and many elements at Modesty reflect this passion for the environment.
All the products are green and the salon features Davines products, an Italian company known for incorporating sustainability methods.
Everything is recycled including the foil used for hair coloring. The space and all appliances are energy efficient, sodas and coffees are organic, the trash bags are biodegradable and even the hair is donated and recycled to non-profit Matter of Trust.
“It matters,” Song said. “It may be a trend, but at the end of the day, we really want to bring awareness.”
But all the focus on the environment does not take away from the fabulous style and service these ladies provide.
The space has a cool, mod-ish feel, with mint-green salon chairs, antique furniture and plenty of natural light. The location has a true “East Village” feel and is great for people watching passers-by on 11th Street.
Modesty is a place that places a priority on clients and one needs only to glance at the rave reviews on Yelp and Facebook.
“Ever since I've been seeing Song, people have always asked me where I get my hair done. Song does a great job making my hair color look great, but natural, and the cut is always perfect as well. Song always helps me come up with a fresh look,” wrote Jen, a long-time client.
I’ve been a client of Naomi’s for more than five years now and can personally attest to how amazing these ladies are. It’s great to be able to walk in, describe the look I’m going for and have Naomi create the exact effect, if not better, than I was expecting.
Not only is the professionalism and experience a true asset for Naomi and Song, but the sincere passion they have for hair and helping clients achieve the perfect look.
When I asked about their style, both declined to cite a specific style, saying that style is based on each client.
“You have to cater to everybody,” Song said. “Our clients are very diverse. People always say you attract clients that are most like you. You have to have that chemistry that sustains the relationship.”
Naomi added, “We have our conservative friends and our punk rock friends.”
As for specializing in Asian hair specifically, Song and Naomi are both pros at working with all kinds of hair including, Asian, Hispanic, coarse, fine and curly. And both are continually evolving and learning new trends and techniques.
“You want to keep learning because you love what you do,” Naomi explained.
Modesty recently launched an art show on Fourth Fridays and Naomi and Song are gearing up for more events and features at the salon.
“We love the East side. That’s our next goal - to reach out to the neighborhood and let them know we’re here,” Song said.
For more information, call 628-0750 or visit http://www.mysalononline.com/modesty/
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