What we're about at
the space
ESTABLISHED 2023
What we're about at
Genderless
It all started when our founder, Olive, not only saw the need for a more inclusive intentional salon, but experienced it firsthand. As a queer non-binary hairstylist, they never quite "fit in" in any salon they had worked at. In 2021 Olive opened Olive The Hairapist, The Studio. The first Strands for Trans and Dresscode Project Safer Salon in Fort Wayne! They opened it not only to create a safer space to be themself, but also to create a more inclusive salon for all people in Fort Wayne. All genders, sexualities, ages, races, religions, sizes, textures, abilities, and beyond.
LET'S START AT THE BEGINNING
In 2023 Olive expanded their solo salon suite, to a full salon in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne! Creating a more inclusive, eco-conscious, and community focused salon for hairstylists and clients alike. Together, our team at The Space is working to make an even larger impact for our community.
Now, in 2024 we are working to grow above and beyond what has existed before. We are so proud to be independently queer owned and operated, with no outside investors or partners. Because of your support we are able to operate our business in a way that reflects our values and ethos.
Fast forward to now
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inclusivity
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LGBTQIA2s+
size
bipoc
neurodiverse
non english speakers
immunocompromised
spiritual
wheelchair
The history of hair hasn’t always been inclusive. Haircuts are usually gendered “women” and “men”. Hair has no gender. Our services are priced by the length and density of your hair, never gendered.
“Queer Hair” doesn’t have to look any type of way but it is always affirming. It leaves you feeling empowered because the end result is authentic to YOU.
Our salon was created to be a safer, inclusive space so that the queer community can feel comfortable getting services done and feel seen. You do not have to be queer to be a client with us - however, we do ask you to respect the queer space.
We offer a fully Gender Neutral Bathroom
It is so important to us that every single item in the salon is size inclusive so that anyone can have a seat in our chairs.
The styling capes we use are the highest quality, come with the most amount of neck snaps on the market, and have an extremely wide range of neck sizes to ensure that it fits comfortably on every single person.
Our salon chairs feature an oversized hydraulic pump and comes with a chrome footrest.
The oversized hydraulic base pump is the best on the market with a weight capacity of 400lbs (rated at 550 lbs)
The styling chair itself is heavy duty with reinforced double stitching
Seat Width (side to side): 23”
Salons are one of the most segregated places in the US still to this day. We are actively trying to make that a thing of the past. You are not only welcome in our salon but we want to show you we have done the work to create a safer space for you.
Our artists are required to take continued education on curly and textured hair to ensure they are just as proficient in curls and coils as straighter textures.
Our goal when having you in our salon is to make sure you feel welcomed, safe, and celebrated.
Check out our Instagram to see our portfolio.
We want to ensure a more comfortable salon experience for you! We offer fidgets and ear plugs that are available in the salon for anyone and everyone!
Are you someone who would prefer to skip the wash, head massage, products, or drying? Just ask! We are passionate about providing customized services that SERVE YOU.
We also uniquely offer "Silent Appointments" where your artist will consult with you about you hair goals, then allow you relax without conversation!
Just write "silent appointment" in the notes when creating your appointment. We welcome a quiet environment here.
You are also welcome to request an after hours appointment.
Live transcribe and translation accommodations are available by request for your appointment service via the Hearing Helper or Google Translate apps. When scheduling your appointment just put your accessibility option in the appointment notes. Do you have a translator that you want to bring along to your appointment? You are MORE than welcome to bring them along.
As a salon, all videos on Instagram will include closed captions.
After each and every appointment all stations, surfaces, seating, and tools are cleaned and sanitized. All capes and towels are only used for one client and then fully laundered.
If you prefer to have a masked appointment, just come in with your mask on and your artist will follow suit! We want to help you have good hair, while keeping you healthy.
All of that still applies if you aren’t technically immunocompromised, whether you visit with someone else who is immunocompromised or even just being health and sick conscious and want to avoid extra germs, we would be happy to wear a mask with you at your appointment! You won’t need to explain yourself at all.
After hours appointments are also available upon request!
Our salon wants to create an inclusive, welcoming, and safer space for all humans. Our artists are able to accommodate any of your needs, whatever they may be.
For hijabi individuals we offer after hours appointments by request. We can provide a private space for you and your artist.
For Indigenous people we would be happy to sweep up your hair to send back with you.
Please reach out for any requests, we would love to offer a safer space for good hair!
Becoming fully wheelchair accessible is Olive's FIRST goal in our new space. We DO offer an ADA gender neutral restroom and the inside of our space is wheelchair accessible.
We have purchased a portable metal wheelchair ramp because unfortunately our 103 year old building has 2 steps to get up to our front door. When booking let us know that this will will be needed so our stylists can best prepare the ramp before your arrival.
Our styling chairs ARE moveable so you do NOT have to transfer out of your wheelchair.
Our shampoo chairs are NOT moveable so you can either opt out of the wash and do a dry haircut, or if you are able, you can transfer to do the full shampoo.
We ARE working on offering a wheelchair accessible shampoo bowl.
non toxic products
cruelty-free
low toxic color
product packaging
low waste
salon cycle
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sustainability
There is no need for harmful chemicals to have good hair. All of the products we carry are no-tox, in a world full of green-washing, finding truly chemical free hair care is a game changer.
Every single product is guaranteed free of sulfate, silicones, parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrance, artificial coloring, glycols, petrochemicals, glutens, T.E.A., D.E.A, and aerosols.
The product lines we recommend and use are Hairstory, GM REVERIE, Innersense, and Sparrow 4 Everyone.
Every brand we use is 100% cruelty free with NO animal testing. Sparrow for Everyone, and GM REVERIE are both fully VEGAN product lines as well. With transparency being a goal of ours please know that the only products we carry that aren’t fully vegan are Hairstory’s New Wash, although it is a mostly plant based formula it has a single ingredient Keratin that is a protein derived from sheep’s wool, and Hairstory’s Wax that contains beeswax. No animals are harmed in the making of New Wash and they sustainably gather the wool, and collect the wax still ensuring that it is fully cruelty-free. If this is an ingredient you wish to skip we would gladly grab REVERIE as a cleanser instead :) !
The color line we use is Color Space! Color Space is Cruelty-Free and Vegan, and fully recyclable. Their color tubes are 2x the size of other brands meaning less travel emissions and waste are created all while getting more product. Color Space is low/no ammonia and their ingredients are thoughtfully selected to be low in chemicals and environmentally sustainable!
For our brighter vivid colors we use Danger Jones! They are cruelty-free, vegan, gluten free, with no ammonia, ppd, mea, or parabens!
Low tox, quality performance, best of both worlds!
We chose these brands because they exceed environmental standards. Hairstory offers an amazing refill program so that hair cleansing can be as low waste as possible! New Wash is biodegradable and comes to you in pouches, not plastic bottles, and one pouch replaces both your shampoo and conditioner, a simple switch to New Wash reduces the plastic consumption by 91%! Sparrow for Everyone comes in metal packaging that is fully recyclable and REVERIE is even certified plastic negative!
All hair scraps/waste are locally composted with Dirt Wain. They keep these scraps out of the landfill where they will become methane gas, an accelerant contributing to climate breakdown. Composting reclaims the nutrients and puts them back in circulation in the communities where the scraps are generated.
We recycle any packaging that gets sent to us in the salon, including boxes and paper, as well as our color, gloves, bottles, drinks, and foils. We partner with SalonCycle for our recycling.
We partner with SalonCycle a recycling soluion for salons that allow us to be a nearly NO waste salon! Their motto is #recycleeverything. Some examples of what we recycle are foils, gloves, paper, cardboard, color boxes, masks, lids, snack wrappers, excess haircolor, cans, synthetic hair, and all other salon waste.
Making the future more beautiful for people and the planet.
The dress COde project
A global alliance of salons/shops committed to providing positive, gender-affirming services for LGBTQia2S+ clients.
Strands for trans
Bringing people together to create more trans friendly hair salons & barber shops
Everywhere is queer
A public resource for the lgbtqia2s+ community to find welcoming queer owned spaces
saloncycle
recycling salon waste to make the future more beautiful for people and the planet
Dirt Wain
A local fort wayne composting company working to create a more sustainable community
