On Saturday, May 2, Hair Republic Salon (HR) in Old Ottawa South hosted its spring vernissage featuring the work of up-and-coming local artist, Patti Kelly. Kelly’s debut was a real success. Her black and white celebrity portrait collection truly resonated with the crowd. She effectively commissioned four new pieces and sold three paintings, which included renditions of Audrey Hepburn and Erik Karlsson.
Along with her dedication to the environment, Hair Republic owner and lead stylist Michelle Nguyen is a devoted philanthropist and supporter of the local arts community in Ottawa. Working closely with curator Laura Herrera of I.A.M. (Independent Artist Management), Nguyen adorns HR’s walls with rotating artwork from local artists every season. All the artwork displayed in the salon is available for purchase, commission-free.
Salons in Ottawa are a dime a dozen and Nguyen admits to working hard on her business to set herself apart. Having managed some of Ottawa’s high-end salons and servicing Ottawa’s elite, Nguyen has over 11 years of experience under her belt. “Operating a thriving business on Bank Street can be challenging and costly,” Nguyen says. “I want to be different, to be a leader in the local hair industry and raise the bar on customer service and style, while supporting my community.”
Hair Republic, now in its third year of business, is one of the first salons in Ottawa to join “GreenCircle salon.” This membership certifies the salon as operating under a 100 per cent green environment. Since its inception, Hair Republic has been extremely conscious about the environment. Using ecofriendly building materials during renovations, recycling all clients’ hair and waste generated at the salon and carrying only professional product lines that are certified “green” are just a few initiatives it has set in place.
Hair Republic is located at 1093 Bank Street, just south of Sunnyside Avenue. hairrepublic.ca 613.695.0789
