Washington Square Studio, located at 253 W. Washington St., co-owners Allie Miller (left) and Shayne McBride (right) on Nov. 7, 2023. When decorating the shop, the pair put a lot of effort into decorating in a way that made the place stand out. “Just looking around (the salon), everything is bespoke, (it’s a) collaborative thing,” McBride said. “A lot of the art in here, it’s either found art or local art and it’s just one-of-a-kind things that you just can’t find everywhere.” Photo by Aza Khan
CCHS alumnae Allie Miller and Shayne McBride, co-owners of Washington Square Studio, built a hair salon focused on inclusivity and client relationships.
For some, hair is used as a source of self- expression and a push for individuality.
When the need for one’s own style becomes more important, so does the need for safe and comforting hair salons.
Tired of the day-to-day of a traditional salon, Washington Square Studio co-owners and Clarke Central High School alumnae Shayne McBride and Allie Miller were ready for a change. Opening the salon nearly a decade ago gave the two the opportunity to build on a foundation of inclusivity and client satisfaction.
“We’ve worked in bigger salons where everybody’s in their little slot and everyone comes to their clients, and you don’t really talk to each other,” Miller, a CCHS Class of 2001 graduate, said. “There’s a competitive spirit between hairdressers, that joy of creation and collaboration was kind of lost. We had just done it long enough that we just got brave, and were like, ‘What if we tried something different?’”
“Your hair is yours. If you’re not comfortable, you’re not going to be honest and share how you want to be seen,” Miller said. “That’s what hair is, it’s a part of aesthetically how you want the world to see you.”
““Your hair is yours. If you’re not comfortable, you’re not going to be honest and share how you want to be seen. That’s what hair is, it’s a part of aesthetically how you want the world to see you.””
— Allie Miller,
Washington Square Studio co-owner
On May 19, 2015, Miller and McBride opened Washington Square Studio located at 253 W. Washington St. in Downtown Athens, starting small and working their way up to the salon they have today.
“When we started, it was the two of us basically in an attic with two chairs and two shampoo bowls. But, we (had) a good idea that we were willing to work really hard on,” Miller said.
Almost nine years later, the pair felt it was time to expand. On Sept. 13, 2023, the hair salon made the transition to a larger space in the same building, located under the original space.
“We had (room for) two hairdressers with two apprentices (and) two front desk people, so we literally couldn’t all work in (the old) space at the same time,” Miller said. “When our landlord came along and was like, ‘Hey, guess what? Iron Factory’s closing. Do you want the karaoke rooms?’ We were like, ‘Yes, we do.’”
Washington Square Studio co-owner Allie Miller dries a client’s hair in her salon on Nov. 7. Miller believes that the best hairstyles are those that are good for a client’s image and way of life. “I find that (a good haircut is) like finding that perfect marriage of aesthetics, what you actually aesthetically want to look like and (your) lifestyle, how we move through the world,” Miller said. Photos by Aza Khan
Since beginning her career as a student, McBride, a CCHS Class of 1994 graduate, has felt it was important to emphasize how much a haircut can mean for a client.
“When I first started an apprenticeship, it was 70% personality, 30% hair. To a certain degree, I think that’s true,” McBride said. “It’s a very intimate thing to touch somebody’s hair. We all have a lot of hangups and baggage about hair.”
McBride strongly believes that the relationship between a stylist and their client is vital when working with their hair.
“This isn’t a restaurant. You can eat in any restaurant in town,” McBride said. “People tend to go to the same salon (or) same stylist, so it’s a much different type of business. You have one person you see, so it’s nice to have (a) good relationship.”
For Abby Deschenes, a client at Washington Square Studio, being comfortable with her stylists has given her haircuts that she feels confident about.
“I sat down in their chair and said, ‘(Washington Square Studio Stylist Caitlin Kiesinger), can you give me a haircut that makes me feel fun, makes me feel cool and hip?’” Deschenes said. “I told her I wanted her to have fun because that was going to be the best way for me to get a haircut that suited me. She’s cut my hair a few times before, so I trusted her. I’m very happy with what I got out of it.”
Aside from developing strong client-to-customer relationships, one of Miller and McBride’s main goals is for every customer to feel welcomed and comfortable in their studio, especially young adults.
“(In high school), when you go into (a) salon, you feel like it’s too cool. I totally had that in high school, like ‘I am not cool enough to be in here,’’ Miller said. “We always talked about being cool without being too cool, (so) it’s still accessible. There’s enough different eclectic stuff in here that something can speak to you.”
“It’s a very intimate thing to touch somebody’s hair. We all have a lot of hangups and baggage about hair.”
–Shayne McBride,
Washington Square Studio co-owner
For Director of Education Brandi Deleshaw, another important part of the Washington Square Studio experience is working with teens, which gives her the chance to help them discover how they are most comfortable.
“I think that teens are figuring out who they are, who they want be, what they want to look like and how they want to present themselves to the world,” Deleshaw said. “I really like helping them feel like the best version of themselves. For me, having autonomy over how I looked was really important at that age. I like to be able to help people in that area.”
So with every cut, spritz, chop or dry, Miller and McBride’s studio returns hair to its roots: individuality.
“Your hair is yours. If you’re not comfortable, you’re not going to be honest and share how you want to be seen,” Miller said. “That’s what hair is, it’s a part of aesthetically how you want the world to see you.”
