 "Photo: <i>Natalia Mitsui</i>")
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Aveda Institute is a school that offers hands-on learning in cosmetology (the practice of beautifying hair, skin, and face) and esthiology (the practice of purifying, renewing, and balancing skin) with an 11-month program.
The new location offers haircuts and coloring, manicures and pedicures. The old location by the MarketPlace on Neil Avenue now strictly offers spa services and houses the training for newly admitted students to the school.
Contrary to what some may think, the old Aveda Institute location on Neil Avenue will not be closing.
"We're actually not moving," said Kristina Stewart, the marketing manager for the Aveda Institute Columbus. "We actually just expanded."
Mel Redden is a cosmetology student at Aveda.
"The old location seems so much smaller," she said.
With expansive windows looking out to High Street, the hairdressers and clients have an open view of traffic, retail shops, and people looking in.
"It feels more like a salon now," Redden said.
Courtney Koontz was a client at Aveda on Monday and is familiar with the old location.
"The new location looks more like a salon than a school," she said. "It's more trendy and hip."
With the added convenience of parking because of the South Campus Gateway parking garage, the new location is doing exactly what Aveda had hoped by pulling in more clients.
"We are definitely more busy at this location," Redden said.
Aveda takes in approximately 800 to 900 clients in a given week, Stewart said.
The High Street Aveda has new additions the old one did not have.
Instead of the simple shampooing station of the old place, the new location has what they call a "rejuvenation room." The lights are dimmed and classical music streams in the background, a far cry from the all-purpose shampooing niche that is present at the old location.
There is also a separate room with better lighting for waxing. The High Street location has 75 hairstyling stations, compared to the 52 stations of before.
The new location is where the students get real-life salon experience once they are further into the program.
"The main clientele at the Aveda Institute is Ohio State students," Stewart said. And with students doing the haircuts, clients are given a comparatively discounted rate starting at $19.
Redden said the old space is good to help acclimate the new students with the cutting station, giving them the sense of being on a salon floor.
The old location is not completely forgotten though it is where new students learn the ropes. A good deal of the bookwork is done at the old location for new students. Practice on mannequins, friends and family also takes place there.
Redden, who is two weeks away from graduation, said she loves the new place and plans to stick around.
"I finally found my home. I plan on staying as an instructor," she said.
Natalia Mitsui can be reached at mitsui.6@osu.edu.
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