When Anne Marie Fleitz was in middle school, she cut her mother’s bangs with household scissors. This was the start of a lifelong interest in cosmetology. After more than 20 years as a stylist, she now owns her own salon in downtown Syracuse that offers eco-safe products and services.

Salon Amare opened on South Warren Street in January and offers haircuts, color, waxing and makeup application. The salon uses environmentally-safe products from Davines, a registered B Corporation where Fleitz worked as an educator. Her passion for the brand inspired her to start her own salon. It’s taken off in recent months and seen an influx of students from Syracuse University thanks to a partnership with Hill Communications.

Bridget Slomian | Senior Design Editor

Every Davines product used at the salon comes from sustainable farms, including a “farm to shower” essentials line, Fleitz said. All paper-packaged products are hand-wrapped without glue and come from the Forest Stewardship Council, which advocates for responsible use of forest resources.

“There is a healthy company out there that is not only good for us as stylists to use, but also good for the clients to bring home and safe for the environment,” Fleitz said. “And the products work.”

Fleitz is working toward making the business a Green Circle Salon, which recycles unused color and all clipped hair. Green Circle makes hair bundles to help clean up debris from oil spills in the ocean.

Bridget Slomian | Senior Design Editor

Salon Amare currently has one employee, Ashley Rewakowski, but Fleitz is actively searching for more stylists. While the salon doesn’t have a sign up yet, Rewakowski said that people have been stopping in because of the “beautiful display of products and the chandeliers.” In the past two weeks, she said she’s had about nine walk-ins.

Rewakowski has worked in other salons before and said other professionals in the industry have tried to follow a similar concept to what Fleitz is doing now. She was attracted to the salon because of its pristine condition and dedication to sustainability.

For Rewakowski, what sets Fleitz apart is her background as an educator and her zeal for her craft.

“She’s genuinely passionate about carrying on Davines’ mantra of just (be) aware, just be smart about what you’re using, have it be healthy, be good to yourself and be good to the earth,” Rewakowski said.

Hill Communications, a student-run public relations firm at SU, works with Salon Amare to manage their website and social media pages. It was the firm’s idea to conduct a contest on Instagram, where each of the 13 Panhellenic Council chapters at SU got a post on the salon’s page. After three days, the chapter with the most likes on their post won $15 blowouts, normally $35, on the day of formal.

Alpha Chi Omega won the contest, with more than 3,430 likes on its post as of Monday evening. Samantha Cooper, an account associate at Hill Communications and a freshman public relations major, said members shared the contest with friends, family and chapters at different schools to help get more likes on their post.

“It was super exciting to hear people talking about it,” Cooper said.

She added that the contest helped the salon gain more than 500 Instagram followers, many of whom are Greek life members.

Salon Amare owner Anne Marie Fleitz prepares hair color.
Haley Robertson | Asst. Feature Copy Editor

On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., more than 20 members of the winning sorority braved the snow and wind to get their discounted blowouts at Salon Amare. Two guest stylists joined Fleitz and Rewakowski for the event.

With sorority members signed up for services at various times throughout the day, the salon experienced one of the busiest days since its opening. It was so hectic that during the early afternoon, the shop experienced technical difficulties with the breakers. Within a couple of minutes, the stylists had made the proper adjustments and were back in action.

Linda Lin, a junior psychology major and member of Alpha Chi Omega, said she likes the modern feel of the salon and the refreshments available in the waiting area. She said she will “most definitely” be back to the salon.

Cooper said the firm is happy with the success of the contest and is looking forward to working with the salon next semester.

Fleitz’s eco-friendly practices don’t stop at her business. She and her husband recently sold their house for a smaller condo, where she uses eco-safe household cleaning products such as vinegar. She added that it’s nice to walk places instead of driving sometimes, too.

Overall, Fleitz said the downsize in their living situation has made the couple more sustainable.

“Instead of using a ton of paper towels, we have rags,”she said. “It’s the things like that that you realize it’s not that big of a deal.”

In addition to hiring more stylists, Fleitz aims to spread awareness of the sustainable services and products her salon has to offer.

“Obviously it’s not going to make me a millionaire, being sustainable,” Fleitz said. “But as long as I can provide and be happy, and be good for the environment, that’s what really matters to me more.”

Published on April 9, 2018 at 11:51 pm

Contact Haley: hrober03@syr.edu