Red paint, vibrant artwork, a pool table and couches don’t fit the typical setup of a beauty salon, but you can find them at Beauty and Designz Studio Lounge. Instead of a front desk, customers are met with a friendly smile and wave and, if they’re lucky, they’ll see Kyng, the studio co-owner’s baby, bouncing around in his walker.
OU’s first Black-owned beauty studio opened in December 2021 and has “designz” for every customer, whether they are looking for a “fresh cut” or a place of refuge from a long day of classes.
Co-owner Natasha Coleman said the logo on the door represents how it provides services to kings and queens of every gender, color and background. Beauty and Designz Studio Lounge is one of the few salons in Norman that does ethnic hair, and Coleman said they will eventually sell products for ethnic hair at the salon.
The Beauty and Designz Studio Lounge's logo.
Coleman said she never thought she would be the first for anything, so being the first Black-owned business at OU means a lot to her. She loves the recognition it brings to the business and the opportunity it gives her to interact with students.
“The students really inspire us because they come in and they (say), ‘We finally got somewhere on campus to go get our hair done, we don't have to go to the city.’ … It feels good to see that they feel good about us being here, and everybody is so grateful for that,” Coleman said.
Although the studio and lounge’s specialty is treating ethnic hair, the stylist’s diverse skill set in cosmetology serves customers of all hair types. Coleman said the mark of a true cosmetologist is found in stylists that offer a wide range of services, so the studio covers braiding, barbering, color, cut and styling and spa amenities, such as facials.
“Yes, ethnic hair is my specialty because I'm an ethnic woman, but it doesn't stop there. … When I decided to do this, I didn't want my craft just to stop at my ethnic hair. I wanted to do it all,” Coleman said.
Coleman has worked on hair since she was 16. She met her first business partner at Supercuts after transitioning in and out of the cosmetology business years after beauty school. The two attempted opening a salon, but due to renovation issues, they had to branch off on their own.
It was while working at New Black Wall Street, a hair salon and barbershop in Oklahoma City, where Coleman met her current business partner and co-owner Tracy Holman.
When a former client and OU alumna approached Coleman with an opportunity to open a salon on OU’s campus, she decided to give the salon business another chance. Along with manager Ebony McCloud, Coleman and Holman worked to make the salon a supportive and familial environment.
“We are just not here to work,” Coleman said. "We're here to come together. We support each other. Listen to each other. If anyone needs help, we are here to help, and of course, (we are always) bringing the children here (because) bringing our kids here shows them that you can do this even when you have kids, because we are all one.”
McCloud said working at the studio and lounge means a lot to her, especially because being a stylist on OU's campus allows her to fulfill her dream of doing hair for athletes. This has been a dream of McCloud’s since she was 11 years old and watching sports on TV. Instead of keeping up with the game, she was always admiring the players’ hair.
Outside the Beauty and Designz Studio Lounge, located on 100 E. Lindsey St. Suite 10.
“One day I went to work, and I remember sitting here doing (an athlete’s) hair, and I shed a tear because we were talking … and I was like ‘Oh my goodness, I'm so excited to be here. I’m so happy to be here, y’all. I get to go live my dream,’” McCloud said.
Not only does McCloud enjoy styling college athletes, but she also loves getting to know them and their stories so she can share them with her children.
“I showed (my clients’) pictures to my daughters, because they think it's cool, and they're a big inspiration,” McCloud said. “For my kids, it’s telling them (to) never give up. (The athletes) are from everywhere. … They're here accomplishing their goals, and they have found somewhere where they can come and be comfortable. And they can do the same thing. I like that. I like to be able to learn from them and take it home.”
Xavier Brewer, a senior defensive analyst for OU’s football team and one of Holman’s regular clients, said he was excited to have a barbershop so close to campus and his place of work, especially since it is open and inviting.
“It's all love. We talk life (and) all life experiences,” Brewer said. “You can learn and grow from anyone, if you're open to it, and I think this (is the) type of environment you want to be in if you're looking forward to a family feel.”
As Holman joined Coleman in the creation of the studio and lounge, he said being at OU has been a blessing. He hopes to inspire customers not only with his skill but also with his style.
“With our dress, (we try) dressing professional, just to bring professionalism back to beauty and barbery instead of us walking around (and) looking crazy,” Coleman said. “We want all this. We want to leave an impact on here.”
The most important thing Coleman wants for her business is inclusivity for OU students, Norman High School students, residents and customers from surrounding cities.
“We also want everybody to know that we just don't focus on the Black students or the ethnic students,” Coleman said. “We style everybody, and not only the students on campus but outside the neighborhood as well. We want everybody to feel welcome coming here."
One of the things McCloud wants for anyone who comes into the studio is to feel safe and welcome, especially when it comes to the students who are away from home. As Coleman and Holman maintain a familial atmosphere and inclusivity at the heart of their business, they said they hope the studio and lounge serves as a “stepping stool” for other business owners to follow their own career passions.
“This will set the example for other Black-owned businesses or even minority businesses to come out here and be like, ‘Well, they did it, let us do it,’” Coleman said. “That just makes (being here) worthwhile.”
