A SOURCE OF ARTISTIC INSPIRATION

By Louise May

Upon stepping into Studio Muse, you’ll quickly realise this is no ordinary salon visit. Located on the iconic Sydney Harbour at Jones Bay Wharf, the salon provides expansive views of the city and harbour. Picture glistening waters, city skylines, and the scenic Barangaroo waterfront. It’s nothing short of spectacular.

Your appointment kicks off with a signature head and neck massage, followed by your choice of refreshments, you can even choose to sip on a Margarita whilst you sit and unwind and take in the breathtaking view. This serene start is just a taste of the indulgence that awaits.

Studio Muse is deeply committed to sustainability, paired with an exquisite salon atmosphere. Founded by Laura Kim, a visionary artistic director with over two decades of experience in the hair and beauty realm, the salon stands out for its use of vegan, organic, sustainable, and biodynamic hair colour and products. Whether you’re drawn to Laura’s signature ‘lived-in’ colours or looking to have your hair expertly styled by the dedicated team, Studio Muse promises a personalised and transformative experience.

Editor of Hair Biz Louise May chats to Laura Kim, Artistic Director at Studio Muse. As an Aveda National Colour Ambassador, Laura is passionate about creating beautiful hair with vegan products and she was recently featured in Glamour UK with a spotlight on her Cherry Chocolate Brunette.

How did you get into hairdressing and what do you love about the industry?

I got into hair as I used to do my Mum's and my friend’s hair when I was quite young. So, I was able to gain an understanding and passion very early. I was doing makeup and hair styling and entered the hair and beauty college in Seoul as soon as I was old enough to do so.

I love making people look and feel beautiful by highlighting their natural beauty to make them feel confident.

When did you open Studio Muse and what was the inspiration for the salon?

I first opened our salon in the Sydney CBD in June 2013 under the name ‘Solace’. This was a very busy area that was constantly inundated with walk-ins and during the COVID period I decided it was time for a lifestyle change. For some time, I had wanted a salon on the iconic Jones Bay Wharf on Sydney Harbour, and I decided to move into a beautiful, 3-storey space at the very end of the wharf facing Barangaroo and the Harbour Bridge. I also re-branded as Studio Muse after my creative inspiration; my Bichon Frise, Muse!

Studio Muse is committed to creating beautiful hair with vegan products, tell us about this philosophy?

Hair comes from the human body. Your Mum gave you life and your body gives organic life to your hair. This is a natural process and should be enhanced by clean, vegan products. I love the process and the results these products provide.

What has been a career highlight of yours and your greatest challenge?

Probably moving from the hustle and bustle of the CBD to a peaceful, creative space on the Harbour. Plus, the opportunity to name my beautiful salon after my Muse was a definite highlight too!

My greatest challenge is to constantly lead my team by moving forward and continuing to improve and enhance our creativity, but this is also the most exciting part of my day-to-day.

You have a highly experienced team; how do you retain great staff and clients?

Being honest with the team and showing them my ideas as well as keeping a very open space for them to share their own knowledge and skills means that we can all improve and grow together. We’re like a family now and enjoy working together so I think that environment helps to keep everyone close.

I try to give guests new ideas on each visit - from season changes to lifestyle growth. I try not to keep things the same visit after visit. I want them to keep striving for the highest standard in their own aesthetic and hopefully that keeps them coming back.

What’s special about the client experience at Studio Muse?

In-salon we provide a calming atmosphere with head massages and shoulder rubs as well as a fantastic view that our guests can enjoy with a tea or some organic wine with their experience. Our stylists are all phenomenally talented so guests can relax knowing they have some of the most amazing stylists in Sydney looking after them.

Who inspires you in the industry?

I actually get inspired by fashion designers and fashion shows. I look at modern day trends as well as previous eras, such as the 90s looks, as well as romantic comedy movie characters that make me feel good.

What do you value most in your partnership with Aveda? What do you love about the brand?

The support. I love how they support me with even just the little things and that we can contact them any time knowing they will try their best to accommodate me and my team. They have always treated us a partner and I really appreciate that. I love the fact Aveda products are natural and vegan. It means I can trust the products on my guests and myself.

Tell us about your role as Aveda National Colour Ambassador?

Easiest ambassador role in the world. I love Aveda colour and simply want people to know how amazing this professional colour is. Especially the non-bleach colour transformations that are exclusively formulated by Aveda - my guests love it! Healthy, shiny hair is trending and only Aveda can perform to such a high quality and yet be natural and healthy for the hair.

Can you share your favourite Aveda products and why?

The Botanical Repair professional bond building treatments are my favourite. They are so high-performing and easy to use. If you are colouring, especially with bleach, these products will transform your guest’s hair to make it so healthy and shiny.

How do you stay ahead of hair trends?

I do look at a lot of global social media, especially European. Their seasons are opposite so I can forecast what will be in trend for hair & makeup. Also, my team inspires me a lot so I love it when they share with me what they believe will become in trend.

You were recently featured in the UK press for your Cherry Chocolate Brunette shade, tell us about this?

I love working on individual skin tones and colours and at the moment plum lip is trending, so I created this colour on one of my guests. They saw my IG reels and contacted me straight away - it was quite exciting for them to reach out.

What’s next for you and Studio Muse?

We love sharing our knowledge and professional skills to other professionals so they too can offer their guests healthier colour and styling. We launched Less Is More education recently which is a salon-friendly education platform where you can learn from full-head blondes and brunettes to classic long layered cuts and bouncy blowouts - our signature looks. Watch out for our classes coming later this year!

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