Farmington Hills salon styles itself around natural hair, where 'hair care is a good form of self care'
Natural curls colored and styled by Shanelle Johnson. Courtesy of @divinebyhm on Instagram.
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Known as the Hair Mistress, one local business owner is bringing curls and confidence to metro Detroit.
Julisa Anderson has styled hair from all corners of the world, growing her brand online, while evolving her technique to match the trends of today. With a growing interest in natural hair as a style and Detroit as her backdrop, she's now hoping to push the envelope even further with a new salon.
"I feel like hair care is a good form of self-care. So we definitely encourage that here," she said.
'Here' is Divine by Hair Mistress, one of metro Detroit's newest salons that's set for a grand opening next year. With 15 years of experience in the business, Anderson has worn many hats in the industry, from offering various kinds of styling options to helping her clients feel confident in their own hair.
While there was already a landscape for people to wear their hair how they want to in and around Detroit, she's also helping embrace society's reframing perspective around hair.
From the passage of the CROWN Act to bigger efforts for more inclusive styles of hair in schools and business, more people than ever are embracing their own styles. That's where Anderson and her lead stylist Shanetelle Johnson are hoping to offer an outlet for that style to shine.
"I think that before, it was always like the narrative to push a silk press or a perm. But a lot of people are growing out of that and transitioning their hair to their natural curls. A lot of people are falling in love with their natural hair," Johnson said.
Though she's practiced cosmetology for over a decade, Johnson is relatively new to styling natural hair. Over the last three years, she has been learning about cutting, texturizing, and coloring natural curls.
Many of those curls are cataloged on the salon's Instagram page, which display clients sporting hair styles of all ages and curl patterns.
One reel captures a young woman shaking her hydrated and newly defined curl pattern brought out by the salon's signature technique. Another shows lively red french stitch braids, a playful freestyle done by Johnson.
The salon even offers a Sultry Silk Press, complete with a wash and steam treatment. Their diversity of styles directly reflects the evolution of Black hairstyles, something Detroit is known for.
Anderson says the city's hair industry is what pushed her to move here six years ago, adding "I knew that I wanted to move out of Maryland, just to further my passion for doing hair. And then when I saw the hair culture in Detroit, I was like, ‘oh wow, this is something different.’"
Johnson, a native of Southfield, grew up knowing Detroit had a lot to offer. She says she's excited that others are realizing it as well.
"I feel like there have been a lot of great nobles in Detroit just alone over the last couple of years that I've noticed," she said. "I know there are a lot of great stylists and a lot of great salons here."
Johnson has also noticed a lot more young people getting into the beauty industry, adding "there are a lot more people noticing that we have black stylists here."
The stylists at Divine by Hair Mistress. Photo courtesy of Destiny Lacree
From celebrity stylist to small business
Over the last few years in Michigan, Anderson has picked up traction as a celebrity stylist. Her Instagram,@hairmistress, became the launch pad for both her curly cut classes and her very own product line: Moon Child Curl Products.
Starting her own business this year was never in Anderson's plans, but when a salon in Farmington Hills went up for sale, she knew she had to act. The timing was so perfect, it became the salon's namesake.
"[The name] came from my favorite song, Lady by D'Angelo, when he says ‘my divine’. I was trying to come up with the name because this happened very spur-of-the-moment. Getting a shop this year was not on my bingo card," she said.
But with time winding down, a client asked Anderson what she would name it. Lost for words, she wasn't sure. The next question would inspire the salon's future name.
"So then she said, 'Well, what's your favorite song?' And I told her, so she started playing it, and we looked up the lyrics, and this is all happening while I'm doing her hair. And then it just clicked. All I heard was ‘my divine’ and I was like, it's nothing, but, divine timing that we're here. And then that just kind of stuck so Divine by Hair Mistress," Anderson said.
Divine has made a name for itself through its tailored services and commitment to a high-quality experience. While the location currently accepts appointments and walk-ins, the business will showcase finished renovations at an official grand opening on May 4, 2025.
"I'm definitely looking forward to the reactions from clients when we start making changes, even the little changes that I have made so far, people have noticed. They're like, ‘wow, something different every time I come in here.’ So that's really amazing to see and to, you know, feel the love that people are giving me is a huge blessing," said Anderson.
In the meantime, Anderson is excited about the salon finding its footing in the community.
"I want to get that 90s salon vibe where people come here, they're able to just unwind and enjoy themselves. And we've created a family over the years of me being here," Anderson said, "We've had clients have babies, get married, graduate, so ultimately, like just creating a family where people can come and enjoy themselves."
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