3 minute read
INFOCUS
QUALITY HAIR CARE
AND A HEART OF GOLD
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WRITTEN BY BETHANEY PHILLIPS PHOTOS BY JAMI BOWMAN
Tucked inside Haven Salon Suites in Leawood, visitors will find something special—a luxurious retreat, but not one that they’ve likely seen before. The salon isn’t like other compilation locations, it’s altogether something else. An oasis. A getaway with high-end massage chairs. Plush couches with a coffee bar. A calming, welcoming place for customers to relax and receive only the highest quality of hair styling and care. Owner Mandy Garavaglia founded the location in February of this year. Opening a salon—specifically a luxury boutique salon suite, as she calls it, was a longtime goal. But with the changing of social times, she was inspired to go all-in. As a cancer survivor, Garavaglia says she learned to not wait to take risks. After a three-year stint with ovarian cancer, she threw herself into her career. “There were moments during my diagnosis where I was like, Do I even want to be doing this anymore? But it is absolutely what I love to do! I also learned that if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything. So why not take risks, push forward, and do the things you think about but are afraid to do?” With 20 years of experience in the salon business, and having worked
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in the KC area since 2008, Garavaglia did just that. She began planning for Haven. She hand-picked top stylists and created a space where they could all come together under one roof. Their motto is “Collaboration over competition”; they’re there to help each other out.
In the waiting area, there’s high-end furniture, comfy couches, massage chairs, and a coffee bar so clients can caffeinate while their color takes. There’s also ample space so it won’t get overly crowded. Each stylist has their own room styled to their own tastes, following Haven’s secondary motto: “Your vibe supported by our tribe.” Rooms include a high-end station, shampoo bowl and sink, cabinetry, and the stylist’s own vibe in décor. Fifteen stylists make up the Haven team. Booking is unique as well. There’s no main line for customers to call. Instead, users head to the website and check out the work of each stylist. Once they find one they like, they book with them directly. Garavaglia says she wanted this aspect so customers can choose the right style for them and the ability to search the work they like best, all from one source. Garavaglia says she took the time to personally choose each stylist because she wants clients to have a great experience, no matter who they see. She brought in colleagues and researched work of querying stylists, including Instagram profiles. Other qualifications included keeping up with continued education and modern trends. “The moment you walk in and feel the vibe, we’re all friends. We’re people who have been in business for a long time, who have been finding the perfect place to work. You can trust that anyone you see here is going to be great,” Garavaglia says. Longtime customer Jenny Matthews works as the host for Q104’s The Morning Drive. “Mandy has been doing my hair for so long … it’s been like 12 years,” she says, adding that the two bonded over hair appointments and became fast friends. She also says Garavaglia’s genuine personality only adds to the appointment experience. “There are good people in this world, and she’s one of those people. She has a heart of gold.” Of the hair care itself and styling outcome, Matthews says there’s no comparison. “I don’t trust anybody else with my hair. She’s so excellent,” Matthews says. After all, Garavaglia’s clients book six months out. Having seen Garavaglia move into her own venture, Matthews says she has no doubt about the location’s growth. “Haven Salon Suites is successful because she’s the best and she’s only hired the best. You can tell she poured her heart and soul into it. She doesn’t do anything halfway; she worked really hard and it shows.”
Haven Salon Suites • 4741 W. 134th St., Leawood, KS • 913.299.3300 • havensalonsuiteskc.com
