Over the course of her career as a hairstylist, Kelsie Angst says she’s appreciated the camaraderie with her coworkers and the opportunity to learn new skills along the way. That’s the spirit she hopes to cultivate at her new beauty salon Studio Vera, which recently opened in Detroit’s Woodbridge neighborhood.
“I’ve worked in a few salons, and I stayed at most of them for at least three years,” Angst says. “The biggest thing is I wanted a place that I would stay at and have a home and learn at.”
At Studio Vera, Angst has also developed what she says is a competitive compensation model. In the industry, stylists earn a commission based on sales percentages, typically starting at 30-40% and capping at 50% when the stylist grows their roster of clients.
After a stint working at Village Parlor in Detroit’s West Village, Angst says she was inspired by how the salon started its stylists off at a generous 50% commission.
“I just don’t believe in taking more than 50% from someone at work,” she says. “At Studio Vera, you’ll be able to start off at 50%, and then you have the choice to go to 60% or [rent a booth].”
Angst says she hopes to foster a community of stylists.
“I missed having stylists around me to learn from because it’s a growing career,” she says. “You’re constantly learning new stuff.”
She adds, “It’s not easy for the owner to do. But I come from a family of business owners and they’ve always taught me to feed your employees first. Take care of them, value them — and it all starts with making sure they’re paid right.”
Angst’s career started when she was studying fashion at the American InterNational University in London, England. After noticing Angst was spending more energy on her models’ hair than her fashion collection, her instructor Vera Urban encouraged Angst to pursue hair styling instead. Studio Vera is named for Angst’s former mentor.
Angst next studied hair at the Paul Mitchell the School in Chicago, and later moved to Grand Rapids for her first job before arriving in Detroit, which she says she immediately fell in love with.
On her first night in the city, she says she went out for drinks at Willis Show Bar and the Raven’s Lounge, with breakfast the next morning at the Clique.
“I remember my friends taking me to all these places, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, Detroit is so cool,’” she says.
After working at at Village Parlor, Angst co-founded Lynwood Studio in suburban Ferndale. While many salons are located in the suburbs, Angst wanted to open her own salon in the city. When she worked at Village Parlor, she lived in an apartment next door.
“I loved working and being in a neighborhood … that has more of a community, and so I wanted to find somewhere that had that,” she says, adding, “I’m excited to be part of the Woodbridge community.”
The salon is located at 1521 Putnam St., in a complex that has seen an influx of new businesses in recent years, including the Lexington Bar, Petite Sweets, and Bash Izakaya.
Angst acquired the Studio Vera space last year. The design was handled by interior designers Parini and brand consultant Shirakaba Studio, and Angst tapped her friend and local artist India Solomon to create a colorful mural for the side of the building with warm tones that match the inside of the salon.
“I think one of the biggest compliments of a space is when someone tells you it feels very comfortable and cozy,” Angst says. “So I just wanted to make sure that the space felt like that for the stylists and the customers.”
She adds, “I’m just really, really excited to finally have a salon in the city that I love so much.”
