Salon reflects a longtime dream
New beauty business is culmination of years of planning by former Balliet's Salon manager
Salon reflects a longtime dream

By M. J. Van Deventer

Published: July 4, 2008

Loc and Duke Newin have finally seen a decade-old dream come true in the form of an upscale beauty salon and spa like no other facility in the city.

LocSalon opened June 17 and is at the north edge of Crown Heights at 808 NW 50 in an area that is a mix of retail businesses and small, well-kept homes.

For this Vietnamese couple, the route to fulfilling their dream was circuitous. Loc and her late mother came to the United States in 1968, so Loc could study hair dressing and spa techniques in Washington, D.C. Her mother returned to Vietnam, as Loc intended to do. But when Vietnam fell in 1975, Loc believed she had no choice but to stay in the United States. Both Duke and Loc are now United States citizens.

Loc and her husband, a petroleum engineer, lived in Virginia and moved to Oklahoma City in 1981. He works for a large engineering firm; she worked for Balliet's Salon, building a stable clientele, and in 1986, assumed management of it.

The dream was persistent.

"I always wanted to have my own salon and spa,” Loc says.

Early this year, Loc and Duke bought the vacant lot next to Mittie Cooper's White House Gallery at the corner of NW 50 and Shartel and began planning to make the interior and exterior of the building a showplace.

"We wanted a place where men and women could come for beauty and spa services and feel comfortable, relaxed and pampered,” Loc says.

The entry is an indoor garden, overlooking an arbor filled with a variety of plants and a fountain.

Loc and Duke designed special features for the 12 hairdressers, five manicurists, two facialists and a masseuse, which would help them be more efficient and private in dealing with their clientele. Among the special features are a supply closet in each station, a large credenza and mirror and a drawer for curling irons, where the cords are housed inconspicuously. The salon also includes Loc's personal line of beauty and hair products, which she launched two decades ago.

The design of the building has a traditional exterior look, fashioned of rock, with just a hint of an Oriental influence in the pitched roofline. Inside, the Asian influence is even stronger. The woods are dark and rich. The floor is neutral tile. The walls in the salon are crisp white. An artistic curving stream of tiny river rock separates the salon from the spa, which is a soft-blue serene setting, with easy-listening music and solar lighting. Large Oriental pots and vases are filled with bamboo and fresh flowers, and the paintings, many of them done by Loc's brother in Vietnam, reflect the Oriental influence.

The shampoo area anchors the center of the salon, with touches of orange upholstery, a fireplace in the center, a television and bright paintings that add personality to the space.

A large full scale kitchen and laundry room, with state of the art equipment, provides places for staff to wash and fold towels or just have a pleasant lunch with co-workers.

Each staff member has his or her own quarters, with a large window and a view of the landscaping. She bought many of the plants and trees a year ago from Richard Frank's Landscape firm, nurturing them in the back lawn of her home in Crown Heights.

"Loc wanted all the stylists to have a window in their space and to be able to look out and see some aspect of the beautiful landscaping,” Duke said. "The gardens are lush and impressive, well manicured and soothing to the customers. Loc did all of the landscaping herself.

Duke says, "Everything we planted reflects our long-term relationship with our clients — a mature relationship and friendships established through the years.”

Marsha Coffey, senior vice-president of commercial loans at Intrust Bank, met Loc 27 years ago and has been a loyal patron of Loc's artistry with hair.

"I like to think I'm her American sister,” she said. "We have a special relationship.”

Coffey guided the couple through the financing of the salon, which cost more than $1 million.

"Loc and Duke put so much importance on education and quality products,” Coffey said. "Their work ethic is incredible. I'm so proud of them for this beautiful salon they built.”

Comments