Chic yet charming interiors, expert yet friendly professionals and fashionable yet personally tailored services – Status Haircare combines the glamour, prestige and services, usually only found at big brand hairdressers, with the personalised experience only an independent, locally-owned salon can provide. The result – a unique, first-class hair and beauty salon where the client is firmly at the heart of the operation.
Status was created, and is owned, by British born professional hair stylist Chris Davis, whose story is one of true expat success. Initially, Chris moved out to Jávea with his family at the age of 15 and started out in his professional career only a year later. He quickly gained experience and expertise and went on to successfully manage a local salon for several years before deciding to finally take the plunge and open his own salon in the summer of 2014. “I had managed a salon for some years and learnt many great things and developed management skills. But I felt that, as time went on, I was developing in my mind an image of how my own salon would look and work. So I chose what I thought would be the best moment and started the project”, recalls Chris.
In many ways the venture was a risk given the timing and the country’s wider economic troubles but Chris’ strong belief in the quality of his team meant he wasn’t phased: “Spain was just coming out of a recession but I felt confident that Status would be successful with the right people”. Indeed, time has proved him right, over the past few years, Status has gone from strength to strength and is now the biggest and busiest salon in Jávea.
One look at the array of services on offer and it’s easy to understand the success. Procedures, available to both men and women, range from classic cuts and colours to more exclusive Keratin smoothing and straightening treatments, and from up dos and wedding hair to natural-looking hair extensions. For men, there’s even the option of a traditional wet shave, which entails a process of cleansing and exfoliation and is topped off with a hot towel wrap and massage. Beauty wise, there’s a long-list of luxurious treatments to choose from, including makeovers, massages facials and specialist nail services. Try the signature shellac manicure or indulge yourself with a paraffin wrap manicure or pedicure. All beauty treatments are carried out by expert therapist Rebecca Pearl, in the relaxing surroundings of the salon’s dedicated spa area, which is complete with massage beds and tranquil music, for a full on spa experience.
Another source of success is the unique, client-centred experience the salon offers, something Chris has always been passionate about: “I was inspired by people like Vidal Sassoon and Anthony Mascolo of Toni & Guy. They made clients feel fantastic through their capacity to adapt shapes and colours and blend them into personalised yet fashionable styles.” And while all staff undergo continuous training and are up-to-date with the latest catwalk styles, the ethos here is very much about delivering services and treatments that are tailored to suit the client’s specific needs. To ensure this, all services involve a thorough consultation process between the client and stylist.
Ideally located in the centre of Jávea along the busy Avenue Rey Jaime and housed in a building that was once the town’s local library. The interiors have been completely renovated and the finished product is almost 200 meters of bright, open-plan space and a stunning, elegant yet edgy décor that perfectly blends the classic and contemporary. In many ways it is a breath of fresh air compared with the modern yet clinical style of most salons, as Chris says: “I wanted to break away from the minimalist interior design that many salons choose. I’m a big fan of industrial-chic interiors and this is the theme.” The colour scheme uses warm and neutral shades that complement the bare-brick walls and at the same time contrast nicely against the bold monochrome floor tiles. While the vintage furniture – the 1930s Triumph Barber’s chair and French country dressing tables add character. Comfort was a key consideration in the design too, calling for modern fixtures and fittings, including the backwash area’s reclining, leather massage loungers – to provide a relaxing, lavish salon experience. Collectively, the design is central to Status’ warm, chilled atmosphere, which is only extenuated by the friendly, personable staff.
And even the layout reflects the salon’s ethos by directly implementing the desires of the clientele: “Most surveys show that men and women prefer not to be sat next to each other in a hair salon and as we have the space it was logical to honour this”, says Chris. As such the main area of the salon is divided into two sections – one for the men and the other for the women.
Uniquely, the salon also boasts a boutique shop selling trendy fashion accessories including the latest designs from well-known handbag designer Priscila Welter, who also happens to be Chris’ wife and another triumphing Jávea-based expat.
Naturally, the future looks very bright for Chris and next year will see the launch of his newest venture Mediaspa. This exclusive beauty clinic will offer aesthetic treatments including Botox and fillers plus microdermabrasion, fat reduction, skin-tightening and laser hair procedures as well as the more traditional services, like shellac nails and luxurious pedicure, that Chris and his team do so well.
Yet when asked about the future, Chris was keen to stress the importance of the continuation of the things that have contributed to Status’ success in the first place: “We plan to keep working hard, delivering fantastic services for our clients and giving them a second-to-none experience. By doing this we will position ourselves well to perhaps open another Status branch in the foreseeable future.”
– UK Spain Life in Jávea
Contact:
+34 966 27 80 59
Avenue Rey Jaime I
14, 03730 Xabia/Javea
Alicante, Spain