'Shan Hair' Now Open on Tremont Street

Sitting in his newly renovated hair salon in the South End, Shan Casey is at home.

The Tremont Street salon, formerly home to , Casey’s former employer, is now officially Shan Hair, a solo venture Casey embarked upon this spring.

“I knew I wanted to do something on my own,” he explained in an interview with Patch. “I’m excited.”

The snug basement space, vacant since last Fall, has been retrofitted with new stations, stylish furnishings (including a chandelier) and wallpaper inspired by the wrought iron fence outside. Casey, who took over the space in late April, worked alongside a designer/friend for a solid month to prepare for his June opening.

“I wanted it to be sophisticated but with a little bit of softness,” Casey said of his vision for the space. “I don’t want it to be a spa, I want it to be fun.”

Casey, who’s been in the hair business for 18 years, takes a natural approach to his specialty – curly hair. That means no perms and no straightening. He entered the hair-styling world after graduating from high school, on a friend's recommendation.

"It hit me that this is art," he recalled. "It's a trade but it can be artistic."

Casey ran his own salon on St. Louis before moving to Boston five years ago. He became known for his curly hair technique while at Pure (and for his David Bowie voice), before breaking off amicably to start his own business. While shopping around for locations, Casey said he was stunned when his agent suggested the Tremont Street space.

"I said, 'you've got to be kidding me, that's where I used to [work],'" Casey recalled. "I thought there was no way it was still available."

For now, Shan Hair is in its soft opening stages with a grand opening tentatively scheduled for September. Casey plans to hire additional stylists in late summer, but is happy working solo for the time being.

“I’m pretty booked, I can’t be more happy than that,” he said. “I want to get settled in, get in a groove, but I definitely want some people here. I want the energy to amp up a little bit.”

Shan Hair is open Tuesday – Saturday at 673 Tremont St. in the South End. Click here to book an appointment online.