The Image Consultants is a perfectly-named hair salon at 149 S. Water Street in historic downtown Kent. Owned and operated by Cheryl Germano-Smith, the salon sets itself apart by providing free customized consultations for every new client.
People usually can’t answer the big question, which is, “What do you want to do with your hair?“ But they can easily answer smaller, more specific questions, which lead The Image Consultants directly to the answer they seek.
“We sit down with you for 15 minutes or so and get a feel for where you’ve been with your hair, what difficulties you’ve had, how your style could better reflect where you are in life with work and home, how much time you want to spend on it every day… and then carve out a new cut, color, treatments or “look” for you, based upon that feedback,” Germano-Smith explains. With your customized image prescription now in hand, The Image Consultants will have a plan and the proper supplies ready for your upcoming appointments.
The chief Image Consultant is Germano-Smith, who has been a stylist for 37 years. She previously owned a big salon with 20 stylists in Stow for 25 years. She finally sold it “after it began to suck away my will to live,” she says with no shred of irony in her voice. After giving up the mega salon, Germano-Smith rented space at another salon until this intimate little place opened up on South Water Street. The Image Consultants was founded seven years ago, just as downtown Kent was undergoing its own regeneration.
“This is just perfect,” Germano-Smith beams. “I came in just as a big shift was taking place here in Kent. What had once been tattoo parlors and bars is now a great mix of the old and the new in a vibrant downtown. We’re all about art and creativity. This is what I’ve been working toward my whole life.”
The finishing touch to this perfect picture is the fact that accompanying Germano-Smith at the salon are her two daughters: Morgan Walls-Smith, a stylist for 10 years; and Madelyn Smith, the receptionist. “It’s just great, working with them,” Germano-Smith says.
The Image Consultants provide their personalized services for women, men and children. Hair services include cuts, colors, highlights/lowlights, styling and shaves. Facial waxing, microdermabrasion and natural manicures are also available.
Call (330) 346-0146 to schedule an initial consultation. Salon hours are Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10am-8pm; Fridays by appointment; and Saturdays, 9am-3pm.
