When you are a Midwest gal who finds her passion in cutting, styling, coloring and enriching hair, you get to be Michelle Kolich. She has expertise in extensions, and her path has led her to her Nine One Three Salon inside BluSky Salon where she personally makes sure each of her clients leaves feeling like a million bucks.
“When I was younger, one of my best friend’s parents were hairstylists and owned their own salon. My friend and I got to go on the local TV show, ‘Pepper and Friends,’ in Columbia, Mo. and discuss hair with her mom,” Kolich says. “I was about 6 years old and that left an impression on me. My mom likes to remind me how I would cut my troll dolls’ hair and other things with scissors. I even colored my hair blonde with a boxed color, and it turned orange!”
Kolich earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Kansas State University in 2011, then studied under an apprenticeship of a local salon owner. While in college, she styled her sorority sisters’ hair for events and perfected her skill.
She offers authentic Natural Beaded Row Extensions or NBR, a method developed by Danielle K. White, in Laguna Beach, Ca., to provide clients with hair extensions that wouldn’t damage their hair with tape or glues, would offer fullness in addition to length and were easier to install with less “chair time” for clients.
“I attended Big Money Stylist (BMS) Convention which is an exclusive training program that only accepts around 350 stylists each year and is not offered in traditional cosmetology school. The reason I emphasize Authentic NBR is that, as with anything, there are stylists out there who claim that they offer this type of extension method who have not been through the BMS Program. Actually, a lot of my extension business is fixing botched NBR extensions,” she says.
Kolich stresses the importance of knowing the type of product your extension stylist is installing, as not all hair is created equal. There is natural human hair and synthetic, with some being sourced ethically and others not. She sees as a big trend that clients are searching for the peace of mind that the hair they buy comes from companies that offer what she likes to call “trans-hair-ency.”
“Meaning you know where the hair was sourced, if it is human hair, was it sourced ethically, is the product diluted with synthetic or animal hair, what types of dyes are they using on the hair, among other things,” she says.
Another current trend is the often sought after "money-piece” which is that brighter pop of blonde right around the client’s face to give a natural more “lived in” color. Clients want that natural-looking color that mimics a young girl who just spent the summer at the beach.
“While yes, I still use foils on a lot of my blondes, they are asking for shadow roots and a root smudge to give their blonde a more natural look. This also helps them go longer between salon visits. My average NBR client comes in every eight weeks for color and an adjustment, so it is important to give them at least eight weeks of color longevity,” she says. “Brunettes can get NBR too. I would, however, call myself a blonde specialist and well sought-after blonde expert in the metro. I pride myself on delivering results of pictures clients show me in a safe way while keeping the integrity of their hair in mind.”
Kolich purchases extensions from Covet & Mane, an exclusive, high-end natural hair product that uses 100 percent Remy Human hair, or hair given with consent, then prepared through a propriety "hand-tied" method which makes them lighter and more flexible than other extensions.
She also offers Unite Hair Care Products in her suite.
“This line is great for clients using color or extensions because it is free of sulfates and parabens. It also has many different products to aid in achieving a desired style.”
Kolich adds that her clients enjoy her salon because it is personal and more private than an open salon.
“When clients are getting extensions done, a lot of times they don’t want others to know they wear them. Being in a salon suite helps keep things more confidential for them.”
When not working with her many satisfied clients, Kolich spends time with her husband, Todd, who she married two summers ago, and their baby girl, Vivienne.
For more information, visit www.NineOneThreeSalon.com, located at 5051 W. 134th St. #113 Leawood, KS 66209.