Salon G owner Giulia Abbott (back left) stands with the salon’s stylists. Pictured are (back) Abbott, Mia Martucci, Christina Russo, Cassie Abraham, Chris Stillwell, Jessica Pollice, (front) Nicole Cook, Angela Davis and Bonnie Cook. Salon G is located at 866 Route 33, Suite 2, in Hamilton.
Salon G stylists keep up on the latest trends to keep their clients looking glamorous
By Sara Jerome
Giulia—with a “G”—is used to having her name misspelled.
But now people have no excuse for getting it wrong. This year, Giulia Dimeglio Abbott opened Salon G in Hamilton, in reference to the unique way her name is written.
Abbott, a lifelong Hamilton resident, knew she wanted to open her business in the town she calls home. She likes seeing her former teachers around town, and sometimes even cuts their hair.
“I love being part of the community I grew up in,” she said.
For Abbott, hair philosophy is simple: “If you’re my client, I want you to feel beautiful on the inside and out.”
She is willing to go out of her way to make that happen. When clients can’t make it in during business hours, she keeps the salon open late to suit their schedule. Salon G specializes in up-dos and styling, so for bridal parties, Abbott closes shop and provides pre-wedding breakfast snacks.
To Abbott and her team, styling hair is an art. They help clients find the right look for both their personality and their appearance.
“I ask all my clients, ‘What do you do in the mornings? How much time do you have?’ Because they have be able to go home and recreate what I do. We make the style work for the clients,” she said.
So what’s in fashion right now?
“It’s kind of glamorous, even for guys. For women, it’s a very romantic and beautiful look, the loose curl, soft hair, more volume and wave. Big hair is definitely coming back.”
Abbott said she chooses staff who “have an eye” for what looks good with clients’ coloring and overall look. But she also has another quality she looks for in her employees: kindness.
“We all do hair from our heart. Obviously, we make money, but we all do it because we really love to make people happy,” she said.
Salons are not exactly renown for the kindness factor, but Abbott says her business is different.
“We don’t gossip. That’s one of my rules: I don’t want any gossip or negativity. We don’t like to talk about anybody,” she said.
Abbott works to make sure her stylists stay up on the latest trends, investing in training classes for her staffers and taking them away on weekends to learn from experts. As for her, she has been learning her craft since she was a little girl, styling hair since the age of 12.
“When I started working, I loved it even more,” she said. She got her license in high school, and has been devoted to the hair business ever since.
The style bug runs in the family: Her cousin owns a salon, and her uncle owns a barbershop. And now her young daughter, Francesca, is getting on board, as well. She comes into the salon and plays with the mannequins.
“I think my daughter is very fashionable for being 3,” Abbott said.
Francesca helped inspire her mom to start her own business.
“After becoming a mom, I wanted to be the best woman I could possibly be. When you’re a mom, you’re a role model. I wanted to show her, anything you dream can come true,” she said.
Abbott’s name is also a family institution. She got the unique spelling of Giulia from her grandmother, who passed away four years ago.
“The salon may be named after me, but really it’s named after her,” Abbott said.
She keeps a few things in the salon that her grandmother left behind, including the perfect keepsake for a salon: her grandmother’s mirror.
“It’s behind the desk,” Abbott said. “I always think, for anyone who looks in it, there’s an angel sitting behind there.”
Salon G is located at 866 Route 33, Suite 2, in Hamilton. Phone: (609) 890-0300. Hours: Tuesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Walk-ins welcomed.
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