Spring has sprung, and summer is approaching and since styles and beauty changes throughout each season, hairstyles, cuts and beauty trends is taking a new incline at the One Love salon in Jamaica, Queens.
It’s Wednesday afternoon, about 4:30 p.m. and the salon has three customers. The television plays for an uninterested audience, the white walls magnify the intense brightness of the salon against it’s grey tiled floors that have been freshly cleaned.
Shaw Shaheed and his Ghanaian business partner, Bha, established One Love salon a year ago on the corner of Guy R. Brewer and Parsons. One Love replaced a former salon which used to be known as Nu Tribe Salon.
Shaw who runs the business is a Jamaican born hairdresser and stylist who started crafting his career when he was sixteen. Shaw added that he and his brothers used to cut and style each other’s hair when they were growing up, thus he realized that was his talent. Shaw said most people call him ‘Hot Sauce’ or sometimes just ‘Sauce.’
“Sometimes people come in here and they just ask for the sauce,” said Shaw, as he chuckled to himself.
Shaw is a tall brown skinned middle-aged Jamaican born African-American man. He’s wearing all white sweat pants, sweater, white sneakers and a green inside shirt.
“Everyone has something special. We make people look good and feel better about themselves,” said Shaw.
Shaw explained that in his business, productivity is essential.
“Business is a reflection of your staff, your mind and how you feel in making a difference. Image is everything. I like to hire people who know what they’re doing,” said Shaw.
One Love salon revolves around a small team of six stylist and hairdressers. The salon is opened for business seven days a week where Thursdays through Sundays are some of their busiest days.
Each day people visit the One Love salon for fades, retro cuts, mohawks, braids, extensions and much more. Shaw added that thirty percent of his customers are female clients who all have their own individual preferences.
“You’re doing something for someone who really appreciates it, I never do the same thing twice, it might be the same style but I always do it a little different,” Shaw said.
“They just want the hot sauce when they come in here,” Shaw added amusingly.
Shellion Clarke also known as ‘Shelly’ is a stylist at the salon who works there five days a week.
“It’s nice to be able to style people’s hair,” Shelly said.
Shelly added that she specializes in weaves, relaxers, cuts, coloring and a lot more for her customers. She claimed that it has been over 8 years since she has been a stylist. Shelly had started college as an accounting student but later gravitated towards styling, which she enjoys doing. At the time of the interview, Shelly was sewing a weave into a customer’s hair.
“I know Shelly makes it comfortable for me when I’m getting my hair done,” said Darelle Shaw, Shelly’s customer.
One Love salon provides its customers with excellent service while at the same time the staff tries to keep an arousing atmosphere in the salon. In the upcoming months Shaw added that customers can hope to see changes and a makeover in the salon.
