Nathan Phillip lives his dream every day — except Sunday.
Located near the north gates of campus, sandwiched between Chinese Combo King and North Gate Tavern, lies Phillip’s hair salon, Studio 126. Phillip has cut hair there for more than a decade and finds he only needs one day per week off from his “work.”
“Every day that I can come in to the studio and work for myself styling hair is like a dream, a vacation,” Phillip said.
Two years ago, Phillip jumped at the chance to purchase the studio where he had worked for about eight years, formerly known as Hair Vision, and the stylist hasn’t looked back since.
“I enjoy what I do, and it’s almost like therapy to me to get to meet different people and work with a variety of hair,” Phillip said.
The stylist said he conducts a number of different hair treatments, from cutting to coloring, and works with men, women and children with all hair types and ethnicities.
“I know many stylists specialize in one area, but I think a good stylist knows how to do it all,” Phillip said.
Patrons entering the studio are often greeted by Phillip’s dog, Milo, and once inside, it’s easy to discern that Studio 126 is not a vanilla hair salon chain. The walls of the studio are painted a sunny yellow and adorned with Phillip’s original paintings. Broad bay windows allow for a good vantage point of the studio’s exterior on busy West Chimes Street – perfect for people-watching – while pop music and playful banter fill the studio’s interior.
Construction management senior Brent Albert said he has been visiting Phillip at Studio 126 for more than four years.
“I get the perfect hair cut every time, and I enjoy [Phillip’s] sense of humor,” Albert said.
Phillip prides himself on his studio’s unique personality and attributes his return business to his personalized focus on each client.
“I may not be the best, but I enjoy getting to know clients and I make sure all my work is high quality,” he said.
Phillip may have started his hairstyling career by cutting his brother’s hair while growing up in his native Saigon, but popular opinion holds that he has evolved to into an adept stylist.
“The hair cut is a cheap price and close to campus,” said undeclared sophomore James Birdsong. “My whole frat [Theta Xi] comes here.”
Studio 126 Hair Salon is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or later.
 
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Contact Josh Naquin at [email protected]