A Reimagining of a Manly Icon

Introducing The Mane Space, the evolution of the long standing Ebony Hair in Manly. New name, new look, same incredible service. The Mane Space opened its doors in late July, a prestigious new salon on the famous Manly Corso. Kao Salon Division is proud to have supported this business for over twenty years.

“Our long-standing and renowned philosophy still remains: to provide the highest standard of hair services in a welcoming and luxurious space. We are excited to share with old and new clients the opulence that is The Mane Space.” Said owner Di Jones.

Ebony Hair was first established in 1975, and remains one of the longest standing businesses in the local area. In 1996 Di emigrated from the UK, having grown up washing hair in her mums salon, hairdressing was her destiny. Arriving in Sydney Di joined Ebony Hair and went on to purchase the salon in 2000.

Alongside her husband Martin, Di grew the business in a few years to a team of 15 stylists and a new address in the heart of Manly. Expansion happened naturally with both clients and staff, an enviable thriving culture that people - stylists and customers alike want to be a part of. Customer experience and staff satisfaction are key, with a focus on great hair and service. Di prioritises work-life balance, flexible rosters and simply making the salon a happy place.

This year’s re-fit and rebrand was an organic progression. The centre was due for a major overhaul, and it coincided perfectly with the evolution of the salon, a new name and image to reflect the current brand. The focal point of The Mane Space is the custom marble desk where clients can have coffee, staff meetings, and socialise during colour processing. Creating a close-knit, family vibe for everyone. support from Kao Salon Division. In the early years Di completed Goldwell’s Business Mentoring Course and for over twenty years it has been a true partnership. Today The Mane Space carries Goldwell, Dualsenses, Kerasilk and KMS. “Over the years I have never experienced a problem with KAO, the ethos of the business and customer service is always one of support and encouragement. Through the ups and downs of many years in business they have been by my side with solutions and encouragement. Always giving me the confidence to push my business forward” says Di.

“We are honoured to have worked alongside Di Maree Jones for over twenty years. We have been inspired by her salon culture, and commitment to success. A longstanding collaborative partnership. Congratulations to Di and her team on The Mane Space, a standout salon destination on the Northern Beaches” , said Rita Marcon, General Manager, ANZ Kao Salon Division.

Di Maree Jones

How did you first get into hairdressing? What drew you to the industry?

My first introduction to hairdressing was when I was around 14 years old. I washed hair and helped out in the salon my mum had in our kitchen back in the 70’s. Wow! Some of the beehives that came out of that place were something else! The world of hairdressing felt very natural to me, growing up with clients under the dryer reading me stories and watching my mum work her magic with the perm rods. When it came time to decide on what I wanted to do, I never really thought about doing anything else. I still love what I do every day, even after 45 years on the job. Hairdressing is a very unique industry. When you want to travel, when you have family, when you want to run your own business, the job adapts and offers endless opportunities to fit into whatever path you choose. It’s also a wonderful creative outlet and such a feel-good job.

What has been a career highlight of yours? And what’s been your biggest challenge?

A career highlight for me was taking over the reins at Ebony Hair in 2000, my first salon in Australia. After emigrating from the UK in 1996 with two small children, I planned to further my hairdressing skills and resume working within a salon. I was lucky enough come across Ebony Hair which was previously owned by a dear friend. Upon her retirement she invited us to buy the business, it was an amazing opportunity. I definitely learned quickly the pitfalls of running a business. After a few hiccups I decided to do a business mentoring course through our colour brand Goldwell, who have played a significant role in the success of our salon.

How long has Ebony Hair been trading, and what have been some of the greatest highlights with running the salon in this time?

Ebony Hair was established in 1975, probably one of the longest standing businesses in the local area. The greatest highlight would definitely be expanding our space and moving into this great location in the heart of Manly. It felt so luxurious to us all and cemented our business to attract more walk-in trade which enabled the business to grow. With the help of my husband Martin and wonderful staff we grew our business of 3 stylists to a team of 15 in just a few short years. It was never my intention to expand to this size, it seemed to happen quite naturally with both clients and new staff members. Grown organically, our culture seems to thrive, and customers are attracted our open, warm family. This month you’re extending, refitting, and rebranding the salon to become The Mane Space. Please share what led to this decision. The refit and rebrand was again an organic progression. The centre which our salon is located was in line for a major overhaul to earmark it as a centrepiece for Manly, a place for locals and visitors to gather and enjoy, we were invited to stay in our current space, and we have worked with the owners through the renovation. As a team we had already been discussing changing the name and image of ebony hair to reflect our current brand. we played around with a few names and had a vote which led us to ’The Mane Space’ A lesson learnt along the way has to be how dedicated and invested our clients are in our salon and brand. Moving into a temporary space has had its challenges, and clients have been very understanding with all the construction changes to the building. Our clientele is just as excited about the new salon and brand as we are.

What’s your favourite thing about the new Salon?

My favourite part of our new salon would have to be the desk, this is the central hub of our hair lounge. where we can have a coffee with a client, work meetings, socialise during colour processing and it generally makes it feel like a home for everyone. The Mane Space is home to Incredible hairdressing, Stand out customer experience, premium haircare & expert knowledge.

A quick look at google reviews shows incredible customer satisfaction at your salon. How do you ensure this level is maintained and kept up?

We are grateful to our clients who can find the time to leave us reviews. As a team we speak a lot about our customer experience, it is definitely bred into our culture. With the launch of The Mane Space, we will continue to be our most authentic selves and keep our focus on great hair and customer service. We have worked alongside local businesses to collaborate and support each other; we have also had wonderful support from the team at Goldwell with our launch.

You have a great reputation for nurturing, inspiring and retaining your salon team. What’s the secret to keeping your team happy and fulfilled?

A hairdressing career is known for working weekends, late nights and standing on your feet all day without a moment to eat lunch. I prioritise creating a work life balance for my team with flexible rosters and always try to make work a happy place. This can be different every 5 minutes and is customised to each individual. As a salon manager you have to be adaptable, understanding and work together with your team to achieve an outcome that suits you both. I feel our education and mentorship takes priority with our apprentices, we encourage their inquisitive minds and creativity. We pull together as a team and encourage joint decision making, it is mainly about respect for each other within our family.

How would your team describe you?

I had to ask the girls this one - the happy mum of the salon team.

Who inspires you in the hair industry? And who’s hair would you most like to do?

Our business has been involved with Kao since before we took the salon over 20 years ago and we have been dealing with the company ever since. Over these years I have never experienced a problem with GOLDWELL, the ethos of the business and customer service is always one of support and encouragement, though the ups and downs of many years in business they have been by my side with solutions and encouragement 100% as a result I have the confidence to push my business forward.

What are your favourite Goldwell products?

Kerasilk Control - I love the smoothing benefits of this product range. They really work. Dual sense blonde & highlights range, being by the beach this is a great solution for our blonde clients.