Mission Ten Eleven a Green Salon in Green South Pasadena

On an adorable green tree-lined street in South Pasadena sits a tantalizing gem. Mission Ten Eleven is a green Hair Salon that blends in perfect balance to the beauty surrounding it and yet seems somehow out of place. It is a Salon that one would expect to find gracing the streets of Paris or New York and yet there it is shining brightly in the Mission district of South Pasadena.

I was attracted to Mission Ten Eleven, (whose name is taken from it’s street address 1011 Mission), long before I ever saw the Salon. The name alone began conjuring up images for me. It sounded like to could be a very high tech shiny sci-fi Salon or perhaps an exclusive elegant gentleman’s club, or an ultra hip establishment known only by those “in the know”.  And it is all those things and much more.

Ernie however saw past that and was able to envision exactly how the Salon looks today

Salon owner and Hollywood Eco Stylist Ernie Hernandez has a talent beyond just giving great hair which wasn’t mentioned to me before I went into his Salon. The talent is for looking at the bare bones of something a subject in its raw state and seeing past what it is to what it can be. He told me that when he first walked into his Salon, nothing was there but raw walls, an unfinished ceiling, and blemished floors. Ernie however saw past that and was able to envision exactly how the Salon looks today.

Every detail at Mission Ten Eleven fits Ernie’s passions and beliefs. While renovating the historic space, Ernie preserved and restored the wood floors, walls and ceiling beams to their original luster 100 years ago. The paint is soy based, all of the appliances are high efficiency and even the coffee grounds from the French press are recycled as ground fertilizer. All hair clippings are donated to an organization called Matter of Trust ( http://www.matteroftrust.org/programs/hairmatsinfo.html) an organization that creates hair mats used to soak up oil from more than 2,600 oil spills that occurred last year around the world.

My hair had a bit of a straw quality to it

Clients experience an energetic salon with Mission Ten Eleven’s offering of accoutrements including literature and art books, eclectic music, delicious French press coffee, a variety of wine, imported beers, teas, juices and mineral water. Each hair station is equipped with vintage “beauty lighting,” circa 1920’s France, where every client’s style is vividly accentuated. There are also outlets for laptop and cell phone charging as well as hooks to hang handbags. The shampoo bowls are ergonomically correct so the client never experiences neck pain and can relax and enjoy their shampoo and scalp massage before every cut. 

Ernie’s passion to detail and his talent to envision are not just used in his designing of a space and creation of a beautiful Salon. He has the ability to turn those talents and that vision onto the clients that are lucky enough to walk in his door. 

I’ve already gone on and on regarding the décor but let me make one last comment.  It’s beautiful and a surprising blend of masculine and feminine elements that create a luxurious and high classed ambiance.

Three shades of color were woven into my hair

One thing I haven’t mentioned about Ernie yet is a little of his history. He has been in the business for over 20 years and has not only done Salon work but a lot of entertainment work as well. You’ve seen his styling in top fashion magazines, commercials and movies. In fact he is still heavily involved with the entertainment industry and works on locations and shoots several times a week in addition to running Mission Ten Eleven.

He has also had picked the stylists who work with him, selecting well trained, friendly caring and talented stylists to become members of his Mission Ten Eleven family.

Let’s use me as a case study. It had been a few months since I’d been to a Salon a “she-she” Beverly Hills one for that matter. Where I got a hair color that was almost on the mark but ended up being just off enough that it brought out the shadows in my face and made me look older than I am. My cut had grown out and nothing could be done to make it look stylish or even tidy.

I was also the past victim of a self dye job gone wrong and despite my best efforts, my hair had a bit of that straw quality going on. So off to Ernie I went.  When I walked in I was greeted by one of the friendly stylists that are a member of team Mission Ten Eleven.

A blend of masculine and feminine elements that create a luxurious and high classed ambiance

After changing into the Salon gown, I was offered a beverage from an enticing list of options. I choose a glass of wine and Ernie and I settled in for a talk and “look see” regarding my hair.  He was so knowledgeable and full of great ideas; he seemed instantly to know what he wanted to do that would look good on me and work with my hair type. Having decided before I entered the Salon to put my trust in Ernie I agreed and we began.

He first decided on three shades of highlights and after mixing up the colors got to work expertly weaving them into my hair. During this I discovered how deep his commitment to being Green was. He recycles everything at the Salon from the drink bottles and cans, to the hair clippings like I mentioned earlier. To even the coffee grounds which he saves and then having obtained special permission from the city of South Pasadena takes and spreads on the trees in the park and the streets. The products he uses and sells are also as green as possible coming from companies who take special care that they are environmentally friendly.

When my color was done I was thrilled to see that my hair had a depth and shine to it which lifted the colors in my skin and eyes. The cut he gave me, gave my hair a natural lift, bounce and flow. I not only looked better, I looked younger, current and hot.

My hair now has a depth and shine to it

Ah, but the proof is in the pudding as they say and the true test came when I asked my friends what they thought.  I only received rave reviews. With comments ranging from things like: you look prettier than I remember, what a hot cut, it’s like you have movie star hair. My favorite being when I tossed my new locks in front of a friend and asked do you like it and they replied “No I don’t like it, I LOVE it, it’s GORGEOUS.”  Need I say more?

Mission Ten Eleven
1011-b Mission Street
South Pasadena, California 91030
626 403 6652

www.mission1011.com

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