DeKALB – Roberta Nierbergall of DeKalb has always said that her hair has had “a mind of its own.”
Nierbergall, who is 98 years old, has been getting her hair cut and styled by Jane Levinsky at Studio One Salon & Spa since the 1970s.
“Whenever I go there, from the minute I walk in, I feel welcome,” Nierbergall said. “Jane instills in her staff a great loyalty. They’re all very friendly and caring. They listen to you. There’s never any gossip, but you can talk about anything: politics, religion or philosophy. They always go the extra mile to make sure you’re happy with your service.”
Nierbergall said that she’s had many haircuts and styles through the years, “but Jane always makes sure you look your best.”
“She makes sure everything is done just right,” Nierbergall said. “She’s a wonderful friend, a dedicated stylist and a true professional. If you want your hair done, make sure you go to Jane.”
The start of Studio One
Jane Levinsky is the owner of Studio One Salon & Spa, 1007 N. First St. in DeKalb.
After receiving her cosmetology license in April 1973, Levinsky began working at Matador Barbershop, located on Grove Street in DeKalb.
“At that time, it was against the law for a hairdresser to cut men’s hair, you had to be a barber,” Levinsky said.
Levinsky worked at the salon for three months and then went to two other salons, where she worked a year and half at each.
Then Jim Haigh, the owner of Matador Barbershop, called Levinsky to ask if she was interested in running a hair salon located behind the barbershop.
“I ran the idea by my husband, who I was dating at the time, and I told him how I wanted to own a shop and make it mine,” she said. “So with $350, I went into business. The timing was right.”
In the past 43 years, Studio One Salon & Spa has had four different locations since June 1977. They’ve been at their current location on N. First Street in DeKalb since 2004.
Studio One also has changed services to keep up with new styles and trends through the years. Staff from the salon have participated in seven seasons of Fashion Week in New York City.
“When I went to beauty school, everyone was using roller sets, now only two of my girls know how to use them,” Levinsky said. “Hair color has exploded in the last 10 to 15 years and we hardly do any perms anymore.”
Services offered at Studio One include the cutting, styling, texturing and coloring of hair, manicures, pedicures, waxing, massage therapy, cosmetics, sugaring, spray tanning, microderm abrasion, microneedling and body wraps and treatments.
Another change in the beauty business has been manicures, which has become an in-demand service at Studio One.
“When I first opened the salon, nails were being sculpted out of dental enamel from China,” Levinsky said. “You couldn’t get it in the U.S., and it was difficult to compete with salons that had it.”
Levinsky is the 2011 Athena Award recipient, and she credits her business’ success to “the community, my clients and my staff.” The Athena Award honors women who strive to serve as a mentor or role model for helping women reach their full leadership potential, demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business profession while providing valuable service by devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community.
Every December, she has held a holiday open house event with gift cards, specials and drawings for clients. The event will not be held this year due to the pandemic, but there will be gift card drawings for clients that pre-booking appointments for January and February.
Getting pampered during the pandemic
Studio One was closed from mid-March to June 1 because of COVID-19 regulations in Illinois.
“We had to take a different approach and regrow the business, because once the pandemic is over with, things won’t change overnight,” Levinsky said. “We care about our clients’ and our staff’s health and want to make everyone feel safe and comfortable.
In the spring, when the pandemic first began, dry haircuts were performed curbside outside of the Studio One building. Once regulations allowed indoor services, masks and social distancing have been required, surfaces are sanitized after every interaction and plexiglass separates each station. Clients must wash their hands and have their temperature taken before entering the building. There is also a private styling area for clients with underlying conditions that might need more privacy and social distance.
“Our clients need time away from home and work now more than ever,” Esthetician Jutona Jensen said. “From the moment you walk into the salon, we want to make sure you feel welcome. We will take every precaution and follow all the guidelines to make everyone feel safe.”
Since the pandemic began, Levinsky has been unable to work with clients at Studio One because she has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
“My staff has been holding everything together during the pandemic,” Levinsky said. “I’ve been very fortunate for all of their hard work and dedication. I have a great group of women co-workers.”
Jensen has worked for Studio One for 27 years.
“I love my job because I get a lot of satisfaction and gratification from making clients look their best and feel better about themselves,” Jensen said. “I like that Jane makes our job a career for us. In addition to making clients happy, she makes us happy. She has wonderful managers, flexible hours and a very professional working environment.”
Manager Deb Kohler has worked for Studio One for 35 years and refers to Levinsky as “a mentor and a friend.”
“We definitely miss not having Jane here, but understand that her health and safety are important,” Kohler said. “She is a mentor to all of us. She gives great advice and words of encouragement. She’s always there for us and we’re always asking, ‘What would she say or do in this situation?’”
Levinsky in turn credits her staff for going “always going above and beyond, especially during the pandemic.”
“It’s been really difficult to do our jobs with our masks on and have that personal connection,” she said. “We are not necessarily an essential business, but I think we are because we make people feel better about themselves. Our work is important and helps others. It’s why I love what I do. It’s more than a job, it’s a career, it’s doing what you love.”
For information or to make an appointment at Studio One Salon & Spa, call 815-758-4508.