Beauty and the Chic
Though known as part of the New York City metro region, Rahway projects a creative small town vibe. That attractive quality motivated salon owner, Chyreise Lambert to re-locate her growing business back to her hometown. Providence opened a door, in 2019, when a shop became available in a prime downtown location. She knew the building well, and an air of nostalgia gave confidence to her decision to move there for her friend’s father had run his barber shop out of the same shop. She had spent many happy hours there as a girl.
When asked how she became interested in hair design, Chyreise said it was always on her radar. Her mother did hair for her own family and friends at their house. It was a natural step to take advantage of a Cosmetology program offered thru Rahway High School and the Union County Vocational Technical School. After successful completion of the program students graduate fully licensed to practice in the State of New Jersey. After gaining experience working in salons in neighboring towns, she decided in 2014 to strike out on her own.
There were challenges in the early days after her move to Rahway. Her grand opening was right before the city closed for an unknown period of time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As luck would have it, the shutdown corresponded with the birth of her son, giving her the opportunity to stay home longer than anticipated with her newborn. Fortunately she had an established client base, so once things opened up again people were eager to see her new location and to get back into the pampered care of a beauty professional.
As is true of many independently owned shops, building solid customer relationships is key to developing a thriving business. Many of her clients have been with her from the start and will travel from as far away as Virginia, or fly up from Atlanta to benefit from her creative expertise. Those relationships, social media and positive word of mouth exposure make up her primary marketing strategy. Serving a multi-cultural community demands expertise and knowledge of varying hair types, staying abreast of current fads, and to constantly master the latest techniques. Changes in the industry are fast and frequent. She has recently observed that many people are shifting away from heavy chemical processes and more clients are asking for less toxic procedures that don’t impact health and well-being. Currently she has two stylists and an esthetician on staff and is excited to be opening a second location focusing on skin care later this spring. Her solid client list keeps her fully booked in advance, so appointments are advised.
