This salon brings a modern, glam touch to Saskatchewan’s capital city with a design centred around its guests and staff.
Candyce Fiessel got her start in the industry when she was 18 years old, helping out her uncle, Daniel Pritchard, at his salon (Daniel Christopher Salon) in Regina, Sask. Three years later, Fiessel opened Shear Escape Salon & Spa, a unisex, family-friendly salon and spa. “Our team really prides ourselves on who we’ve become,” says Fiessel. “I think our guests experience that trust and con dence in their service experience; not just the visual experience, but also the reputation of the hairstylist within the space and how we work together as a team.”
NEW BEGINNINGS
Nearly 12 years after its grand opening, Shear Escape underwent a massive renovation in October 2016. “We basically stripped everything down to the walls,” she recalls. “We really wanted something classic—clean white, light and bright with modern lighting.”
While Fiessel kept some of the salon’s original décor, including its large, oval-shaped mirrors, she wanted to focus on enhancing the guest and staff experience while working with Regina-based company, P&J Cabinetry. “Everything from the front desk and cabinets to the closet and drawers to the wash basins and pedicure benches was custom designed. We brainstormed about what we wanted to do differently—geared towards privacy and overall experience.”
The result has transformed the space into a minimalistic haven, filled with glamourous accents like shimmery wallpaper draped along the walls at the washing stations.
ALL ABOUT EXPERIENCE
Averaging between 1,000 to 1,200 clients per month, Fiessel wanted to create a space that would support her salon’s high traffic. Since the salon is well-known for its bridal services, Fiessel focused on creating a private spa room with pedicure benches that add to the salon’s luxurious aesthetic. “It’s a nice, private experience with dim lighting,” she says. “The wall has a pocket door that opens up, so it’s kind of a little surprise.”
While the salon’s renovation has amped up the glam factor, Fiessel kept the salon’s male clients in mind by creating an Irish pub-style “mancave” in the back. “We wanted to make sure men felt welcomed, so we have two reclining black chairs in the back, so men can get hair and barber services like hot shaves done.
The décor includes pocket watches and pictures of Elvis and James Dean.” With a natural eye for design, in addition to being a salon owner, Fiessel is also one of the co-founders of Saskatoon Fashion Week and is the co-owner of The Style Academy, a beauty school she purchased with Pritchard. “It’s full circle,” she says. “Going from hair school to working in the salon to having my own salon, I really didn’t see my career path taking me here. It’s been a really fun ride.”
While the renovation’s result is easy on the eyes, Shear Escape’s design at heart is all about people. “It’s the relationships that you build. You are connecting with people on a deeper level,” she says. “There’s the life stories that they share with you, and the growth that you experience as a service provider, but it’s the people and the experience of customer service that got me to go to hair school and pursue it as a career; working with people and brightening their day.”
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