Sloans Unveils Luxurious New Salon Experience with Exciting Move

Created by hair industry icon Scott Sloan, Sloans of Lane Cove has been dedicated to delivering a little modest glamour in a relaxed and sociable space on Longueville Road, Lane Cove for over 21 years now.

Quickly becoming the go-to destination for Sydney’s style set, the award-winning team attract an enviable clientele by delivering Sloans’ trademark of beautiful hair through cutting-edge colour and styles inspired by international catwalk fashion, ensuring every clients’ look is a season ahead of the rest. Now, they continue this work in their stunning new space.

Following a move to larger premises across the road, the new Sloans salon is both effortlessly chic and warmly inviting. The design inspiration came directly from nature and was inspired by the beautiful leafy surrounds with a soft, neutral palette of beige, oak, sage, and forest green, feeling like a breath of fresh air as you enter the space.

Curves and arches provide a sense of movement as they repeat throughout the salon while a subtle use of texture through brush-stroke wallpaper, travertine tiling, contoured joinery and stunning Verde Oceano marble continues this connection to nature with layers of tactile elements.

The arched tunnel leading to the spalike wash basin and mix bar area creates a sense of arrival. Rather than being an extension of the main salon, this zone is a darker, moody space with dramatic use of colour and lighting, designed to provide the ultimate relaxing experience. The use of sculptural boucle armchairs, floor to ceiling sheer curtains, gorgeous hand-blown glass and alabaster lighting gives the space a heightened sense of luxury with a relaxed and welcoming feel. The Sloans group consists of Lane Cove, as well as a second salon, Sloans of North Sydney, with a total of 27 dedicated professionals across the north shore. The vibrant and eclectic team channel a fashion forward vibe onto the salon floor yet remain approachable and relatable for the diverse local clientele. Renowned throughout the industry for their impressive work, Sloans have been awarded countless accolades including AHFA NSW/ACT Hairdresser of the Year 2021 Winner, AHFA Creative Team of the Year 2021 Winner, AHFA Australian Hairdresser of the Year 2021 Finalist, AHIA Creative Salon Team of the Year 2021 Finalist, AHIA Business State Salon of the Year NSW/ACT 2021 Finalist and AHIA Business Australian Salon of the Year 2019 Winner.

Hair Biz Editor Louise May Chats with Scott, to talk about the success of Sloans and their journey so far.

What would you say are the core values or philosophies which define your business and leadership style?

Embracing the individual and giving them the tools, education, and support to really shine as their true creative selves. I have created beautiful and aspirational spaces at Sloans, but it was important first and foremost that both the salons be welcoming and inclusive and that starts with the team. A happy and fulfilled team will lead to a successful, well run business and happy clients.

You are known for retaining staff long term. What has enabled you to achieve this?

I’m incredibly proud of our staff retention- we have had six for over 10 years and four for over 13 years and the current team are very well settled. I think the key for us is to really celebrate our uniqueness and to encourage every team member to be authentic. We also create a bespoke career development plan for everyone and make sure to provide a mix of education and creative opportunities both inside and outside the salon.

Share with us your philosophies around staff selection and development. How do you find, keep, and grow high performing staff?

For the entire industry this has become more challenging than ever, and I think we should learn from this and work to understand how we can create an environment that actively encourages new staff and then works to motivate them to stay. It’s time to think differently. We created a special video campaign recently to show what life at Sloans was like to encourage new talent to see hairdressing as an exciting and vibrant career and saw huge success with a record number of applicants.

What are your secrets to juggling the demands of running a busy salon and large team?

It would have to be our admin teams. We have the most amazing Salon Managers across both Lane Cove and North Sydney and they really do make such an amazing difference to everyone in the salon. These team members are truly the lifeblood of every salon so make sure you appreciate them and nurture their talents! I also delegate what I can because I know what my strengths are and that enables me to save time and focus on what I love. Have an excellent accountant, get a social media manager, or look at engaging a marketing whiz if it isn’t your thing!

Your staff testimonials show that what they most love is working in an environment of such creativity. How do you achieve your balance between the creative and the commercial needs of your business?

This can be a bit of a logistical struggle at times, but it is so important. Most people get into this industry because they are creative and have been drawn in by beautiful editorial images and a love of beauty and fashion, so they need that part of the job to feel fulfilled. We are lucky to work with the team at L’Oreal Professionnel which enables us to integrate creativity pretty seamlessly with our salon work and have that support network to provide opportunities for the team. I also involve the team in any collection work, award opportunities or extracurricular activity I have, and I encourage them to actively pursue their own opportunities as well. I will always do what I can to support them in the creative/commercial juggle.

What has been your greatest lesson or piece of advice along your business journey?

Probably that you can take the boy out of the country, but you will never take all the country out of the boy! I’m proud of where I came from, and I think the community minded focus and wide-eyed wonder that I had when I started has helped me to stay grounded and enjoy the highs but also find calm in the lows.

What advice would you give others who dream of building an impactful brand?

Look to those around you and start out with a mentor. There is so much to learn in this industry so go into it with an open mind and always, always be open to more learning and education. You can never get enough! I’ve always worked to create a brand that makes me proud to represent every day and I think if you achieve that you are making an important impact on those around you.

What’s on the agenda for the future?

We just opened our brand new salon in Lane Cove which was a huge undertaking so it’s nice to be able to enjoy the beautiful new space! The new location is larger so with the additional room and interest we’ve already seen, I’ll be focused on growing our client base as well as taking on a few new team members. Renovations on our North Sydney salon are next up. I’m also focused on a few of our up-and-coming team members and ensuring they have strong career development in place with entering competition platforms and a few exciting education and fashion opportunities.