Cheveux brings fresh style to Wauwatosa's salon market

After years of vacancy at the former Ravenswood Hair & Tanz site on West Bluemound Road, the owners of Cheveux Salon have opened their business—and with fresh style to match.

Cheveux, which simply means "hair" in French, opened its remodeled and re-designed 1,000-square-foot space earlier this month and plans to celebrate its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Sept. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Co-owners and stylists Jennifer Wilms and Cari Collum have been friends since meeting each other in beauty school at Vici Capilli in Brookfield almost 20 years ago, and from working side-by-side at a salon on 92nd Street and Bluemound Road, among others.

Opening their own salon has always been a dream in the making. The two had scouted sites for about seven years before settling for their current location at 8320 West Bluemound Road.

Cheveux's space is advantageous for its retail perks, said Wilms and Collum. It offers a full parking lot in the rear of the building, where Cheveux's entrance is located, and is only a couple doors away from Stone Creek Coffee and Bruegger's bagels.

"People like that little added feature," said Wilms.

Other features of Cheveux is the updated design. Its interior is a modern mix of turquoise and light gray décor to complement its aesthetician suite and seven style stations, where stylists can rent chairs and conduct business independently.

Renting chairs has been a trend in the styling industry for the last 10 years, Wilms estimated. It's an affordable way for stylists to run their business without the risk of opening their own salon.

It also provides flexibility for the owners to set their own schedules as working mothers, they said.

Cheveux offers high-end beauty products such as Moroccan Oil and seasonal treatments such as pumpkin facials. The co-owners plan to host in-house educational sessions with product representatives and to partner with neighboring studios for other educational seminars.