Michael Haase is an extraordinary artist whom I fi rst met when he was a young, handsome hunk fresh from Vidal Sassoon in Beverly Hills and I was a bumbling beauty school student in awe of everything geometric. He comes from a circus family in Europe and has been immersed in the beauty business since he was a lad. In fact, Michael has plied his trade in some of the most exclusive salons in the world, participated in many top runway shows in Europe and the U.S., and has done styling for topdrawer editorial shoots. He’s also a photographer and—Michael, don’t kill me for telling on you—a fi ne magician that has performed at the elite Magic Castle in Hollywood.
Jeryl E. Spear, editor.
For the last few years while working at the prestige houses of Umberto and Christophe, I seriously thought about opening a salon. My goal was never to build a staff; it was about creating a styling team. I wanted to build a space that would invite the eye as well as the mind—one that felt luxurious to clients and have an eclectic feel for art. It needed to be a space that encouraged great work, rather than just housing artistic talent. I also felt that the world had become a bit confused between talent and fame.
I yearned to return to my roots by creating an environment that treated hair like art and respected true artistry.
Years ago—actually, a lot of years ago—I was able to be part of one of the most elegant hairstyling teams of the time: Vidal Sassoon in Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive. It was such a prestigious opportunity to play with the big boys: the clothes, the hair and the people who truly respected and inspired our craft.
I had such a thirst for education! Fortunately, in the late ’70s, there were so many great hairdressers who were willing to share their knowledge—to pass on information to the next potential genius that would take the hair world by storm. I was really privileged to have shaken their hands and to have them guide mine toward a higher artistic plane.
 |
| Michael Haase, owner of Salon Platinum Black |
All of my dreams and goals came together when I found the perfect location where the area vibe was cool and upbeat; the salon was street-level and in the thick of the action; and hipsters and wealth resided in perfect harmony. It was an existing salon that had seen better days, but the raw potential was amazing. I leased it and gradually gutted the interior over a seven-week period. After the fi rst major renovation was complete (in a week’s time), we closed one hour early every Saturday and the construction crew worked straight through until 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Talking about it makes it sound crazy, but honestly, it was organized chaos.
Drawing from my awe of the Palace of Versailles and the movie, A Clockwork Orange, I created strong, custommade cabinetry with a modern Italian infl uence and placed a cylindrical, Italian-made lamp on every station that’s eco-friendly and extremely flattering to skin tones. I had electrical dropped from the ceiling to create moveable styling stations, which allows us to comfortably hold events and photo shoots.
If I were to describe Salon Platinum Black, I would have to say that it has a cool vibe, a strong service format, keeps within the boundaries of elegance, and features a styling team that feels the love and passion for what we do every day behind the chair.
Having worked in so many salons both here and in Europe, I knew going into this venture that if I compromised my vision or stopped listening to what I knew was right for me, I would put myself at risk for becoming another unhappy salon owner with only broken dreams to show for my life’s work.
I also knew that by changing the work environment so drastically, I would eventually lose some, if not all the stylists that worked for the previous owner. It was a good thing that I prepared myself! I didn’t have a walkout per se, but there was a constant tiptoe-out effect that eventually purged the salon of stylists who didn’t share the same passion for hair and were uncomfortable with the cultural shift.
At the same time, though, stylists of all kinds began knocking on my door and the vision of pure hairdressing began to flow. Not all who came made the cut; not all stayed long enough to really try. But through the weeding out process, my business began to seriously blossom. In fact, in less than eight months, I completed my first remodel - adding a new workspace—to accommodate Platinum Black’s growing styling team.
While art was my motivating factor to take the giant business leap and become a salon owner, I’m also a savvy businessman. Understanding both sides of the business - our family owned a Brentwood salon for many years—I can safely say that number crunching sustains a salon, while art drives its success.
(SalonPlatinumBlack.com)
 |
| Salon Platinum Black underwent a major renovation in seven days—floors, new walls and equipment. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The name “Platinum Black” represents the perfect balance in hairstyling: platinum being the lightest light and black the darkest dark. |
ê
●
|
|
| pic1 |
|
|
| pic1 |
|
|
|
|
| pic1 | pic2 |
Comments (0) 
Print this Article
Email to Friend
Find in
