Napa’s former Sears outlet on Soscol Avenue has undergone a radical makeover.
Instead of displays of refrigerators and washers, the site at 1701 Soscol Ave. is home to a relocated beauty salon, The Parlor, and a new cosmetology school, Napa Cosmetology Collective.
The Collective opened with its first class in November, preparing students for state cosmetologist, esthetician and manicurist licenses.
Napa once had five beauty schools, with the last one closing several years ago, said Collective co-owner Angie Redmond. This created a local need for a new one to train the next generation of stylists, she said. Her staff includes instructors who once taught at Le Melange in Napa, she said.
The Collective’s black and white décor gives off a “boutique vibe,” said co-owner Kelly Redmond. Both the salon and the school are committed to “inclusivity and diversity,” she said. “There’s a vibe that makes people feel inclusive.”
The school’s website sharpens this message, saying, “This isn’t your grandma’s beauty school, although we do love your grandma and welcome her in as well.”
Instead of playing easy-listening “spa” music, the Collective bathes students and customers with songs by The Clash, Miley Cyrus, Chris Stapleton and Gwen Stefani, Angie said. “We definitely have a very dynamic atmosphere.”
The school’s owners are “ex-wives” who are co-parenting a daughter. Angie, who grew up in Napa, brings two decades of experience in cosmetology, while Kelly comes from a career in the corporate world.
“We want to build a future for our daughter, so we’re on the same page for everything,” Angie said.
Opening a cosmetology school is no easy task, the co-owners said. There are bureaucratic hoops to jump through, with California regulating every aspect of the curriculum. From conception to opening, “It’s been a long two years,” Kelly said.
Co-locating a school with a salon is unusual, which is why the owners use the name “collective” to describe the spectrum of services under one roof, Angie said. “Most schools don’t have a professional hair salon as part of it, with the instructors actually working in the field,” she said.
Clients seeking salon services have the option of making an appointment with a professional stylist, a student supervised by a professional or a recently licensed “junior stylist,” Angie said.
Services are priced according to the expertise of the stylist. Haircuts by a student range from $12 to $28, Angie said. Coloring starts at $25. Haircuts by a professional run to $85.
“People can kind of name their price, and we match them with a stylist,” Angie said.
The Parlor, which serves women, men and children, has a policy of “non-gender pricing,” casting aside a tradition of salons charging women more than a similar service for a man. “Hair is hair,” said Angie.
Instead of classifying hair as men’s or women’s, the Collective prefers such descriptors as “short, long, harder, softer, masculine, feminine,” Angie said.
Cosmetology students receive 1,000 hours of instruction in hair, skin and nail care before taking their state exam; the esthetician program requires 600 hours of instruction in skin care, including facials, body massage and spa treatments.
The Collective attracts students in the 19 to 25 age range, as well as adults who are seeking a career change, the owners said.
November’s first cosmetology class has 11 students who will graduate in June, Kelly said. A second class started in late January, with a third class launching this spring.
The first class has attracted students from Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Contra Costa counties. Tuition for the cosmetology program is $14,575, which covers all costs, Kelly said. “It’s a lot lower than other schools,” she added.
“We’re not doing this to be rich,” Kelly said. She and her business partner want the next generation of stylists to share an inclusivity and diversity ethos. “We want people to see beauty comes in all shapes and sizes,” she said.
Info: napacosmocollective.com; 707-258-2627; 1701 Soscol Ave., Napa.
