Business

Business Profile: Salone Dei Capelli

COURTESY PHOTO | Owner Nichol Morizzo (center) poses with Jeffrey Reit (left), creative director of Philip Pelusi Inc., and internationally recognized stylist, photographer and product artist Philip Pelusi during last week's Fashion Week in New York City.

Owner(s): Nichol Morizzo

Year established: 2004

Location: 56475 Main Road, Southold

Phone: 631-765-6363

Number of employees: 3

Growing up in Riverhead, Nichol Morizzo knew by the time she was 12 that she wanted to be a hairdresser. Her mother cut her long, thick, hazel hair into bangs on a regular basis and Nichol, now 55, knew she could do better.

“It was just a fun thing to do,” she said about playing with her dolls’ hair, dreaming about a bangs-free life.

Her first job in the business, before she graduated from Riverhead High School, was sweeping the floor at Guys and Dolls in Riverhead. After school, she took a break from the East End and spent a year and a half in Stowe, Vt., enjoying the slopes and working at a ski lodge.

When reality called, she came back, studied small business administration at Suffolk Community College, got married and took a job at a local salon.

That was back in 1982. Her personal life has since taken a few turns, and her daughter, Brook, has grown up and lives now Hicksville, but Nichol has remained dedicated to her profession. After about six years at her first job, she rented a chair at a Southold salon. About six years after that, she shifted to another studio in Southold. When the owner decided to sell, Nichol made a break. She started her own business, Salone Dei Capelli, which continues to thrive in its seventh year.

“Haircutting is my passion,” said Nichol, explaining that every haircut begins with a conversation to make sure clients know not only what they’re looking for but a little bit about who they are and what will work best for them.

“Clients appreciate a stylist who listens,” she said. “The most rewarding feeling for me is when the client leaves my salon feeling good about the way their hair looks and the service they received.”

“I love what I do,” said Nichol, who lives in Southold with her husband, Ron. “It’s all about creativity,” she added, and “making feel someone feel good about themselves. A good hairdo can do a lot.”

As an affiliate of Philip Pelusi, a famed hairdresser with a chain of salons and a line of beauty products, Nichol is regularly flown to continuing education courses by the Pelusi company. He recruited her to join his team of stylists who do models’ hair during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, Nichol said.

Next month, for the first time, Nichol plans to share some of her expertise with clients by offering classes on blow drying techniques. Details will be announced. Salone dei Capelli, which carries Mr. Pelusi’s P2 beauty products, is open in the winter on Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Summer hours start at 9 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closing hours vary depending on the day. Visit salonedeicapelli.com for details.