Savanna, my anchor, and colleague is leaving the salon. Her last day will be June 17, and it will be a sad day for me, although I am terribly excited for her. She, and her husband Jeff, are heading to the UK, where he is from, and where she has spent time. Her father is English as well. Savanna is a talented hairdresser, who is down-to-earth, unpretentious, and somebody you want to know forever. Her hair designs are creative, detailed, and daring. Her bobs are perfect, her one lengths impeccable, and her short haircuts are original and well suited for the hair texture and the facial features of her clients. And, she is a beautiful, genuine, gentle, funny, and kind soul.
Then there is the way she dresses. Vintage most of the time with a Savanna twist. She will not wear makeup if she doesn't feel like it. She is regal, yet funky. She is grounded and steady. She changes her hair more than any hairdresser I've known.
Her presence in the salon will be missed by a lot of people. Her level of care for her clients from the moment they show up, until the time they walk out of the salon, is superior. She takes care of their hair, describing it to them at length to them, informing them of things they have never known. I have never heard the cuticle of the hair be so interesting before.
Savanna's future will be fascinating. She plans to go to design school, with an industrial focus. She was already a painter before she studied hairdressing at the Paul Mitchell school in San Francisco. Savanna and Jeff dined at our place the other nite, and as usual, there was lots of laughter, good food, and stories. In true Savanna style, she walked in with a wet painting to which she had just applied the finishing touches. It was an oil portrait of me, with my latest haircut and color. I think she captured a lightness of being, that I will treasure for all time.
Thank you Savanna for your artistry, professionalism, care for people, your beauty inside and out, and your dear friendship. You are an inspiration to me, and words cannot define the deep level of respect I have for you. And even though I shall miss you, I am proud of you for taking this leap. I will see you in the UK.