VALDOSTA – Local Kix Country radio personality Brooke “Dixie Diva” Starr recently decided to branch out and start her own salon.
Her grand opening will be June 1, but she took her first two official clients Wednesday night.
Brooke Starr Salon, located at 110 West Adair Street was previously a women’s shelter, the Haven. This, Starr says, underscores her salon’s mission – not just providing people with hair care needs.
Giving them personal power.
Brooke Starr Salon, and Brooke Starr, wants to stand for something – the empowerment of women and the entrepreneurial spirit that is seeded naturally within it.
Starr loves that her salon’s location was once a secret place for women in search of survival, and pursuit of independence – their ultimate freedom from persecution, abuse and oppression. She sees it as a beautiful metamorphosis of place – and purpose.
Brooke Starr Salon is one of five salons located at the West Adair address, each of which is a suite with its own bathrooms, sinks – and even security system. The women who once sought refuge in these suites left behind the spirit of feminine strength and perseverance, and Brooke Starr Salon is proud to take on that history and build positively upon its foundation.
Owned by Michelle Mulvaney, the building is a new business model for Valdosta-area hair stylists. Called “Hair on Adair,” Mulvaney renting the suites to individual hair stylists, allowing them to create their own individual designs rather than adhere to a single style.
In Starr’s case, her husband Mark, an artist, painted her patented star logo (designed by fellow radio celeb Jay Mathews) on one of the walls, which is what she refers to as the “Selfie Station.” Just this week, on Wednesday night, she welcomed her first two clients – high school girls who had found her on Google.
Starr created a “mermaid” style for one of them – bleaching long dark hair and coloring it turquoise, pink, purple and platinum. (Her friend got highlights.)
Starr grew up in Warner Robbins and after high school she moved to Valdosta and got her cosmetology license and even taught at Wiregrass for nine years. That license has been put to use during the last 20 years, but opening Brooke Starr Salon is a big step.
“I have had a hard knock life,” Starr laughs, but she’s serious. She shares her story candidly, emphasizes how tough it has made her and how it has led her to a strong faith.
Sitting in her salon chair is going to guarantee more than a haircut. There will be stories, there will be inspiration, there will be laughter – maybe even some tears.
After all, it is a classic beauty shop, which has embodied the roots of therapy and church and a news outlet since the beginning of time.
Brooke Starr is, well, a star.
She wants to make everybody one.
“Every time they look at their hair they think of you,” Starr said. “They wear their hair everyday. Everybody needs a haircut…everybody.”
Check out Brooke Starr Salon’s Facebook, Instagram and call 229-740-9021 to make an appointment.
