Dear Pennies & Pens,
So today’s feature comes from a seriously funny story so give me a sec to get it all out. A couple of of months ago, I received a phone call from my mom asking me to text her hair stylist to set up an appointment for her. My mother can’t text messages so when she needs text messages sent, guess who she goes to? Me, of course. Anyways, I sent out tweets about this when I received a tweet from @PlatinumSalonNY letting me know that they were a salon based in NYC where I could my hair done. Being the diligent blogger that I am, I of course inquired about possibly doing a story on the salon.
Over the next couple of weeks, Jeannette who is Platinum’s publicist and I went back & forth via email & twitter to try and link me and Melinda (a stylist & manager of Platinum’s location at the Hotel on Rivington) so that I could interview her. During this time New York Fashion Week popped up and my schedule got crazy but one night while at an event at the Hotel on Rivington, I somehow met the entire Platinum staff. They were all super cool & we shared some laughs over this seriously belated story. In essence, with no further adieu, I give you Melinda Marki, a stylist & manager of Platinum Salon New York at the Hotel on Rivington.
DLP (de la Pen): How did your career as a hair stylist begin?
MM (Melinda Marki): I have always had tremendous hairstylists in my life both as good friends and as my own stylists and have celebrated and championed their successes for many years. Twelve years ago I took a hard look at my own career in sales and consulting and felt a tremendous void. When asked by my dear friend, who has always inspired me (my stylist, Jim Brofft), “What would make you happy?” I responded, “If I could do what you do everyday, THAT would make me happy”. It was then that I made the decision to leave my lucrative career and embark on a new adventure, with much hope and obviously some trepidation. I enrolled at the newly opened Aveda Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio and never looked back.
DLP: Tell de la Pen Pennies and Pens (readers) what a typical day is like in Platinum Hair salon?
MM: A typical day at Platinum Salon is never typical. As a relatively new salon, (less than 2 years) at our Rivington location, we are committed to hiring only the very best stylists who provide extraordinary customer service, consistently enroll in continuing education and genuinely care about not only their craft but our clients. We cater to guests visiting worldwide at the adjacent Hotel on Rivington, providing all hair services including Platinum Hair Extensions, specializing in color correction, Brazilian Blow-outs /Keratin Conditioning treatments and as an Aveda Concept Salon at this location, catering to our clients with complimentary mini-facials and hand massages.
DLP: What types of styling techniques do you specialize in? How did you master these techniques?
MM: My primary focus, (although, not exclusively) is color. Coming from Cincinnati, Ohio, which has a very large German base.. I learned coloring and highlighting on a predominately blonde client base. As a result, I love working with natural blonding techniques and achieving overall beachy, buttery or beautiful tonalities. Additionally I worked with styling, cutting and coloring human hair wigs as I also had a large Orthodox Jewish female client base.
DLP: How does Platinum Salon differ from other New York beauty salons?
MM: I find that our clients give us the best feedback in that they tell me they really made to feel at home, welcomed and most importantly we listen and execute what they most want.
DLP: Describe the ideal Platinum Salon client.
MM: The ideal Platinum Salon client is anyone searching for a commitment to consistent color/styling results,(we are crazy commited to documenting our color services and client special requests/needs). Equally important, anyone wanting a welcoming, comfortable yet upscale envioronment.
DLP: Are there any upcoming projects or events for Platinum Salon that you’d like to share?
MM: We are celebrating Earth Month all of April for Aveda Earth Month 2011. Platinum salon is donating 100% of the purchase price of the Light the Way Candle, ( $12.00) which helps fund Global Greengrants projects protecting clean water. Together we will touch the lives of tens of thousands of families worldwide.
And there it is. The Fashion and Style of the Pen…de la Pen.
