Salon Shows Tomorrow's Look Today by Terri Rimmer - originally published by The Clay Today, 1989 (under my maiden name)
MESERVES
OWNERS, Loretta and Chris Meserves, seated, are Joined
by shop manager,
Photo
by Dona Inmon
Michelle
Knaack, center, in their unique salon which gives you an image of a
new look.
Salon
shows tomorrow’s look today By
Tern Persico ~ Staff Writer
ORANGE PARK —
“I wish I could see it first” used
to be what many people
uttered under their breath
as their hair stylist snipped away
at their sacred locks
of hair.
Now with New
Imaging Systems, a computer interactive
video display system offered through
New Imaging
Industries, hair salon patrons can see
themselves as a fiery redhead, sultry blonde
or a bold brunette.
The system, which has been on the market
three years, is offered locally at Meserves International
Salon, 5124 Blanding Blvd, the only Florida salon to offer
the service.
Meserves, owned by the husband and wife
team of Chris and Loretta Meserve, bought the
system for $22,000 before they opened their new shop
July 8.
‘Everybody who’s heard about It is wanting it
(the consultation),’ said Chris Meserve. ‘We've had a
lot of response.’
Before receiving a consultation, by
appointment only, customers consult with a stylist about
what styles they’ve worn, what they’d like to change,
and how much time they want to put in to styling their
hair.
Customers pay $30 fora consultation which
allows them to see themselves in as many different hairstyles,
haircolors, and makeup
as
they choose from a catalogo of 140 choices and 32,000
different color combinations. The system may also show the
customer what they would look like with different colors of
contact lenses and vanousJeweh-y.
The stylist chooses four styles for the system to
‘computer fit” to the head of the model via a digitizing
camera. A ‘before” picture is taken of the model whose face is
super-imposed on the computer. With a sketchpad-like miniature
canvas and pen, the stylist may cut the style chosen
into any shape, and add hair and color to get as close
to the original hair-color as possible. Three “before’
and "after" Polaroid pictures show the customer the
difference.
Front and side views may also be
shown.
Most people choose 8-10 different styles for
the consultation, which takes an hour to an hour and a half.
"The company had to work out several bugs because
the computer wouldn’t digitize you.’ said Mrs.
Meserve. "It wouldn’t let you experiment with color;
now it does. And If you moved your head it messed up
the image. You used to have to sit real still.’
The system is updated regularly, said Mrs.
Meserve, with mature women and men styles included. Customers may also keep a swatch of day
and evening colors suited to their wardrobe
which
an optional printer selects.
Men may see themselves with moustaches and
beards.
After receiving the consultation. customers may
have their hair cut to match one of their choices
which the computer prints out, a picture of.
“A lot of times you can’t duplicate
your style after the stylist does your hair,’ said Mrs.
Meserve,
The adult-oriented salon operates with
three stylists, one of whom was schooled in England and
worked there and in Spain. Another stylist has been in
the business ten years. Michelle Knaack, manager, said
stylists are chosen ‘very carefully."’
‘The computer is the main reason why we
opened the shop, to draw more people in,” said Knaack.
“We have drawn a lot of people.’
The system, createçl by Kirk La Mar,
hairdresser and executive vice president of New Image
Industries, Inc., is on the market In California, New
York, London, Paris, and Belgium, among other areas.
The nearest system available outside of Florida
is In Valdosta. Georgia.
The system Is available for personal use in the
home at a price of
$7,500.
The salon also offers facials, manicures and
pedicures. Operating hours are 10 a.m- 10 p.m.
Tuesday-Saturday.
These are pictures of me trying out Meserves Salon's new system at the time in 1989.
©
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Again, this is what happens when you scan old articles from the 80s and 90s and try to format the codes in a new world of technology. I need to find someone who can clean these up for me and make them look presentable. Unfortunately when I started in journalism in 1984 we didn't have the World Wide Web so this story is not on the Web..
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