Atlantic Ave Magazine November 2016

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special feature ║ in the grove hair studio
JOE ARDAGNA AND
WHITNEY SMITH
The Dynamic Duo Who Make Beauty A Verb
BY diane feen photos by melissa korman Makeup by Jackie Parr
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They say it’s lonely at the top. But not
for Whitney Smith and Joe Ardagna.
Both are star hair stylists and colorists
who are on top of their game. Their salon
(within a salon) is a hub of activity and
transformation. So much so that they recently
opened up the wall that separated
the two spaces they inhabit at In the Grove
Hair Studio.
When they moved to Pineapple Grove to
branch out on their own three years ago it
was an independent gesture of expansive
beautification. They may have had some
clients at the time but nothing compared to
their fan base now.
Their quaint intimate space is always
brewing with women of all ages. Some
come for color, others for cut and styling
and still others wager a war on the heftiness
of their tresses. “We use Great Length
Hair Extensions and put them in strand by
strand,” said Joe, the ever patient fatherfigure
and friend to all. “We take continuous
education on the process of putting on
hair extensions. You have to understand
the diameter of the client’s hair and not
add too much or it gets heavy and breaks.”
If you watch Joe putting in hair extensions
you would think he was adding highlights
to the Sistine Chapel. With methodical
intensity and concentration he adds
small strands of hair to the clients existing
hairline. Clients like Randee Wechsler
have been coming to Joe for cut, color and
hair extensions for years. She sits patiently
while Joe works his magic to lengthen and
thicken her tresses that are colored in
what is called “Lived in.” In layman’s terms
that means casual. “You can’t tell where
the color stops and starts. You have to be
an artist, it’s all about painting,” says Joe,
who has been Wechsler’s beauty guru for
eight years.
Joe’s alter ego – and beautiful blond
partner - is Whitney. Both are bookends
in taming the wilder instincts of hair care
and are dedicated to their clients’ beauty
and well-being. “We want to make each
and every person feel important and
cared for,” said Whitney, who always has
72 November 2016 | www.AtlanticAveMagazine.com