ZIBA STYLE BAR
Toronto business owner, Solange Ashoori's new salon
September 2019
Before 2019, Solange Ashoori worked from home as a freelance makeup artist, lash technician, and hairstylist. This year, however, marks the beginning of her journey as a business owner. Ziba Style Bar, located at 867 Dundas Street W, is a new salon that caters to all hair types and skin tones. As diverse in its staffing as it is in its services, Ziba is a new and exciting addition to the Toronto beauty scene.
Read below as we chat with Solange about her journey to Ziba.
Collective Culture - What is Ziba Style Bar? And, what separates you from other salons?
Solange -Ziba was created as a space for all women to feel comfortable getting their hair, lashes, brows, or makeup done in confidence knowing that their service provider knows how to work with their hair type and skin tone.
CC - Why did you decide to name the salon Ziba Style Bar?
S - Ziba means beautiful in Farsi (Persian) and it was my way of incorporating a little piece of my culture into the salon.
CC - Why did you start this business?
S - I started this business because I’ve always had a passion for the beauty industry and despite how amazing it is, its still very marginalized. Through my experience working at various salons, I realized that women with curly hair (including myself) had to go through so many obstacles to find someone confident enough to work with our hair. I thought that was silly, so I vowed to change it if I could.
CC - Why was specializing in people of colour a focal point for your business?
S - I wouldn’t necessarily say people of colour were the focal point, I just created a space for ALL and because of the marginalized beauty culture we are used to it may look like we are just focusing on people of colour. I’m happy to facilitate a space that everyone is welcome to enjoy and not ever have to deal with the anxiety of not being able to get a service because someone doesn’t know how to work with your hair or skin
CC - What have been the most important takeaways from this experience so far?
S - The most important takeaways to this point, although I’m sure there is much more to learn, have been to stay focused, and don’t let self-doubt or fear be a factor. It’s difficult to let go of fear, but I feel it’s essential to dive into our passion if that’s the only thing you can see yourself doing and dreaming about.
CC - What advice do you have for others who may want to take on a similar endeavour?
S -Do your research from all angles. Get help from others. Remind yourself why you want to do this daily.
Book your appointments and get to know more about Ziba's services here!
Solange Ashoori - Ziba Style Bar