First Place:
Stephanie Anthony, Meraki Salon
Second Place: Rebekah Howard, Serendipity
Third Place: Maria Agosto – Studio 9:13
Honorable Mention: Brittany Hough
Stephanie Anthony became a hairdresser at the age of 4 and she’ll never forget her first client, Barbie, or the bangs she gave her.
“I decided to become a professional hairdresser in my early 20s,” she recalls. “I’ve always loved giving people confidence by making them look and feel their best. Being a hairdresser allows me the opportunity to do that every day.”
When she opened Meraki Salon in 2019, Anthony was on a mission to create a space where all of her guests would feel welcome and at home. Goal one was building trust with her clients so that she could not only meet their hair goals but exceed them. Specializing in a wide range of services such as haircuts, curly haircuts, multiple extension techniques and color, her Meraki Salon is also a Davines concept salon. Davines, a family-owned hair care company, is focused on environmental sustainability and product performance, both important to her.
Ask her why her clientele has consistently grown over the years and she’ll tell you it’s because of how she prides herself on her work. “I want every client to leave my salon feeling and looking their best, every single time,” she explains.
Continuing education courses are also a huge priority for Anthony because they allow her to keep up to date on the latest trends. But when it comes down to it, what Anthony likes most about being a hairdresser has always been the relationships she’s been able to build throughout her career. She’d even go so far as to say that her clients feel like an extension of her family.
Barbie with the bangs was just the start.