{"id":2697,"date":"2018-08-01T11:33:19","date_gmt":"2018-08-01T09:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newedgemagazine.com\/?p=2697"},"modified":"2018-08-01T11:34:06","modified_gmt":"2018-08-01T09:34:06","slug":"salonoff-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newedgemagazine.com\/index.php\/salonoff-2\/","title":{"rendered":"SalON\/OFF"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Friday, June 1, at 6 pm the neon sign of a new hair salon in Ljubljana officially switched ON. A brightly lit space with a tasteful minimalistic interior with hints of industrial opened its doors for the public. The architect behind the space which was inspired by nature \u2013 iron, wood, stone and plants \u2013 is Benjamin Koren<\/a>, who gave the salon a comfortable, homey feeling. But it\u2019s the two guys that run the place that give it the energy, the finishing touch. Simon Vol\u010di\u010d<\/a> and Jani An\u017eelj<\/a> both come from the Primorska region but their careers started out differently before their paths crossed and they joined forces. Simon\u2019s been working in Ljubljana for 14 years now, starting his career at the Secondary School for Hairstyling which he wasn\u2019t a big fan of. But after he finished it, he started working in a salon. \u201cWhen I first set foot inside that hair salon I knew that that was it. I was 18 and practically feeding off of the energy inside the salon, the hype, there was so much going on \u2013 I immediately knew this was what I wanted to do.\u201d At 24 he already ventured on a solo path. He\u2019s mostly self-taught; learning from the opportunities life had given him. Jani\u2019s hairdresser career however started a little later, after he\u2019d already spent one year at the high school for economy and one year at the secondary nursing school. \u201cI soon realised that my fingers were a little more creative and at 18 years old enrolled in the Secondary School for Hairstyling.\u201d After he\u2019d finished that he moved back to Primorska, worked in a L\u2019Oreal hair salon in Udine, Italy, and when he returned to Ljubljana he started working for Mare dresura Frizure. Simon and Jani met backstage at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Ljubljana a couple of years ago and it immediately clicked that they had the same goal and a similar vision \u2013 to start their own salon. They knew it would work because they\u2019re both dedicated to their work and they\u2019re both perfectionist which reflects not only in their work ethic but also the upkeep of the space. Starting their own hair salon wasn\u2019t an easy job though things have been running pretty smoothly since its opening. \u201cIt\u2019s maybe a little harder because we\u2019re not from Ljubljana,\u201d they say, \u201cThere\u2019s always that fear of survival nagging at the back of your brain. But so far it\u2019s been completely amazing. If you work well and you aim towards working good it reflects in the satisfaction of your clients. The main thing we keep in mind is that we treat every client as best as we can.\u201d The idea behind the name of the salon came from their friend, Dorotea \u0160krabo<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019d been banging our heads against the wall about the name, trying to come up with something classic yet edgy, something international maybe\u2026 And then she sat us down and there it was \u2013 SalON\/OFF<\/a>. When we\u2019re open, the neon sign is switched ON and when we close up we simply flip the switch and turn it OFF.\u201d What makes the space special \u2013 aside from the name \u2013 is that it\u2019s multifunctional. It not only serves as a hairdresser\u2019s salon, no, SalON\/OFF is a place where people can display their art, hang it up on the walls, showcase their work. It connects different branches of art. \u201cWe see hairstyling as a form of art \u2013 so why not tie them all together in one space?\u201d says Jani. As for what the future holds for these two charismatic, hardworking boys? \u201cTo offer the best service we possibly can. Bring in clients that are looking for that, clients that know what we have to offer and are familiar with our work concept. Maybe in the future offer some working seminars, educational seminars. We would love to mentor young hairstylists, give them an opportunity to learn from us.\u201d With the energy these two give off, there\u2019s no doubt that the future of the salon is brightly lit and definitely switched ON.<\/p>\n

Special thanks from Simon and Jani goes to Da\u0161a Kastelic<\/a>, their social media manager, Benjamin Koren and Dorotea \u0160krabo.<\/p>\n

Photo: Magnolia Neya<\/a><\/p>\n