Six chairs, six mirrors, one checklist.

The salon started in a converted closet in 2016 with one chair and a barber named Antoine. It now occupies the front corner of the Hawthorne building, with six chairs, six mirrors, a shampoo sink, and a window that looks out at the bus stop so the whole neighborhood can see that a twelve-year-old is holding clippers.

What it looks like

Warm lights, a tile floor that can take bleach, a wall of photographs of every student who has passed the floor certification (with permission), and a front desk that a kid runs. A radio plays quietly. There is a jar of combs, a drawer of capes, and a laminated consent script taped inside every station.

The checklist

Before any student touches a client, they complete and sign a 14-point sanitation checklist: hand washing, tool disinfection, cape and towel protocol, chair wipe-down, blade inspection, and client consent confirmation. The checklist is not a formality. A student who skips a step loses floor privileges for a week, and they know it.

The client experience

You walk in, sign in at the desk, and wait on a bench that a Crafts kid made. A student greets you, reads the consent script, and confirms what you want. The instructor checks in before the first cut. The cut is free. Tipping is declined. If you do not like it, tell us — a student will not be punished for a bad haircut, but they will hear the feedback, which is the point.