By Matt de Simone
Need to get your hair done in Botetourt? Another student who attended the Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC) has recently opened the doors of her new business.
Amy Coleman is BTEC graduate of the school’s Cosmetology program who opened her Pure Elegance Hair Studio’s new location in Troutville last year. After restrictions and construction, the studio is now open for business.
“I always wanted to do hair,” Coleman said in a recent interview. “I did dual enrollment (at BTEC), so I had to do an internship. I did that at my best friend’s aunt’s salon.”
Coleman’s worked in salons for the past eight years. “Pure Elegance” first opened in May of 2020, just when the COVID pandemic shut down businesses across the county. Coleman first rented a small space in Fincastle with a chair, shampoo, and some décor. Once her business picked up, she discovered that the small room wouldn’t be large enough.
One year later, Coleman found her current location at 8420 Cloverdale Road in Troutville, formerly a two-bedroom house back in 1960. She started pulling carpet, ripping tack strips, and painting walls. She finished most of the interior work a little over a month after moving in. Over the course of a year, Coleman finished all of the floors in each room and continued adding on.
To begin her career, Coleman took her state board through the BTEC Cosmetology program and was licensed before graduating from James River High School in 2014. She then moved into booth rental at a salon in Vinton.
“It’s really hard to build clientele (with a booth rental),” Coleman explained. “When you’re ‘booth rental,’ you’re essentially self-employed. You pay rent for your spot and buy your own products. You only get paid if you have a client in your chair.”
It was tough for Coleman to establish herself in an area where she didn’t know many people. She then decided to move her business closer to home and began working at a salon in Daleville, where she established a customer base over the next five years.
“I really got busy there,” Coleman mentioned. “Before COVID happened, my book was so full—three pages front and back of customers that I had to cancel or reschedule once salons opened back up. I was already fully booked when I opened my salon.”
Coleman had to stop taking new customers due to her 50-hour workweek because she didn’t have anyone else to help in her studio. After opening Pure Elegance in Troutville, Coleman brought in her best friend, Amber Scott (another BTEC grad), to take on the overflow of additional clients. Next month, Coleman plans to add another experienced member to the Pure Elegance team for further help.
“I love having a salon in Botetourt,” Coleman added. “People know each other. It’s super-welcoming. It’s a positive environment.”
Pure Elegance specializes in color and blonding services. Some of the hair studio’s other services include women’s haircuts, conditioning/Keratin treatments, special occasion styles (weddings, proms, etc.), hair extensions, and waxing.
Coleman’s years of experience working in a salon has taught her a lot about the industry, but she understands that there’s always something new to discover.
“You never stop learning,” she continued. “There’s a lot of trial and error. Everything changes. Everyone has their own customized color formulas. I could put color on me, and someone could say, ‘I love that,’ but I couldn’t mix up the exact same formula because their starting canvas could be different. People’s hair takes (to color) differently—it could be more course or more resistant. There are so many factors that play into it.”
Visit Facebook and Instagram (@pureelegancehairstudio) pages for more information about Pure Elegance Hair Studio.
