A front porch lined with sculptures, sparkling glass doors with sleek wooden handles and a deep, southern voice. A trip down Perkins Road will take anyone here, but only if they’re looking for a salon.
Rigsby Frederick Salon and Gallery offers an unprecedented experience to its clientele. Customers may come in for a simple cut and color but leave with much more than that.
The salon’s owner, Rigsby Frederick, mingles with his customers as he practices his craft, but the man in the alligator vest has built a business around what he knows and loves.
Frederick attended the University and worked with hair throughout his 20s, but he opened his own internationally branded business in 1984 strictly as a salon. Two years later, the self-taught artist added a gallery featuring his sculptures made of steel, stone and wood.
“Everything around me is handmade,” Frederick said. “It’s just something I love and something I’m passionate about. And of course, hair is the easiest medium. It’s soft sculpture, that’s all it is.”
For a salon with a twist, part of his business is based on tradition — the clientele. Frederick has worked with several generations of families over the salon’s, now, 31-year existence, many courtesy of the University.
“Thirty years of new freshman. Thirty years of moms and daughters, and believe it or not, grandmothers,” Frederick said. “I’m able to do three to four generations of great families. We live in a bedroom community as opposed to New York. So people do stay around and have a reason to come back and visit.”
Frederick offers a variety of options to customers to cater to any budget need, but when it comes to doing hair, he only has one rule.
“I will not do somebody’s hair twice if they’re not fun,” Frederick said. “It’s not about fat or skinny or young or old, it’s about fun.”
Most of the salon’s furniture was handmade by Frederick himself, from the benches to the framework, but he’s open to displaying local artists’ work. The salon will occasionally feature new work, and everything is for sale.
The salon’s general manager, Michelle Bellamy, said aside from art, it also sells hair products, Bourbon Royalty candles and jewelry from several different vendors.
The back of the salon also offers an escape from the busy main floor with its VIP area.
“We do bridal parties, special events, private consultations, or even if you just want a girls’ day,” Bellamy said. “It’s a really nice place to have separate from the salon. There’s not a lot of other places that do that.”
The staff’s goal this year is to connect with the college community, specifically the University’s freshmen looking for a salon to call home.
“We have all different levels of stylists, which means we can offer all different services to them,” Bellamy said.
Even if Frederick isn’t working in the salon, he’s occupying his time with some form of art. He’s released several clothing lines in the past using materials, such as alligator, beaver and snake skins.
This aspect of his work allows him to travel all over the world, but he’s still drawn to spending time in the salon. He even participated in NOLA Fashion Week last year, but had to decline this year’s invitation due to a tight schedule.
“I showed everything from wild mushroom hats to alligator vests,” Frederick said.
Frederick splits his time between work and his home studio, which houses one of the few sculpture gardens in the Baton Rouge. There’s a noticeable absence in the salon when he is away.
“You can definitely tell when he’s here and when he’s not here,” Bellamy said. “It’s just a glow in the salon. His home is just an extension of this place.”
“Rigs,” as he introduces himself, is a busy man, but has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
“Every day I do something I haven’t done,” Frederick said. “It’ll keep you young. Creative thought will keep you young.”
Opening the salon allowed him to mix his love for working with people with his passion for art. It’s also one of the only forms of art that keeps on giving because someone always needs a haircut.
The proud owner is happy with the business he’s built and the stylists he surrounds himself with.
“I dont know of another salon that’s been kicking ass,” Frederick said. “We’ve been one of the top salons for over 30 years. It’s not just about me, I’ve had some really brilliant talent through the years.”
Regardless of what he’s doing, Frederick carries his passion throughout every aspect of his life, and advises everyone around him to do the same.
“You toast to the past, live in the now and be inspired by the future,” Frederick said.
Rigsby Frederick in front of a personally made sculpture on Jan. 28, 2014, in his salon on Perkins Road.
