Walking into Michele International’s new location on Montana Avenue, I’m immediately struck by the warm simplicity: white walls, white floors, everything pristine and welcoming. The space feels both fresh and familiar, exactly what sisters Marice and Anne intended.
“This is the way our shop in the Palisades was, too.” Marice tells me as we settle into the bright, airy salon. “We want our clients to know that the new place is the same, that we are the same.”
That might sound simple, but there’s something deeper here: the desire to recreate not just a business, but an entire experience.
Michele International’s previous location — where the salon had served clients for forty years — was lost in the Palisades fire. Now they’ve rebuilt in Santa Monica, focusing on restoring the exact feeling and quality their longtime clients have come to expect.
More Than Hair
Marice and Anne are obviously close sisters, and they share an infectious enthusiasm for their work. When I ask what they specialize in, they both agree: “Everything to do with hair. Cuts, color, straightening. Anything and everything to do with hair.”
“We can even make you look better if you’re bald,” Marice adds with a wink.
That’s not entirely a joke. Some clients come to Michele International while growing their hair out to donate to charity. Once the donation is made, they start the process over again, and the salon helps the women look and feel great throughout the entire journey.
But for Marice and Anne, it’s never been just about the technical work.
“It’s not just about hair,” Marice says. “It’s about a happy experience.”
Anne nods. “When people walk out of the salon, we want them to be astonished about how good they look. We want them to feel that they received quality service. We want them to feel warm.”
The Long View
The warmth Anne mentions is built into the foundation of how Michele International operates. The salon’s staff reflects an unusual commitment and loyalty. Chiyo has been working here for 30 years. Linda, too, has been with the salon for 30 years. Karen has “only” been there 10 years, starting when she was just 17. (Karen is the sisters’ niece, making this truly a family-run business.)
This continuity extends to their clientele as well. People who’ve moved as far as Palm Springs, San Diego, and Ojai still make the trip back to have their hair done at Michele International. Some clients who can’t make it to the salon call just to chat with the stylists.
“They are very nice,” Marice says about their clients, and you can hear genuine affection in her voice. The ladies love making connections with their clients and sharing stories with them.
International Roots
You can’t chat with Marice and Anne for long without noticing their pride in their Northern Irish heritage. Michele International truly does have international roots: the sisters bring decades of experience from both sides of the Atlantic.
Their journey has taken them from Hollywood, Northern Ireland, to just a stone’s throw from Hollywood, California. Along the way, they’ve built a clientele that includes many of L.A.’s elite, though the sisters insist on discretion and won’t name names. Anne did share that one Hollywood actor does such a convincing Northern Irish accent that he fooled her — a native of that place! — when he first visited.
The women worked in Northern Ireland during some of the most challenging times in that region’s history. Anne recalls coloring the hair of an Irish television personality when they all had to evacuate the salon due to a bomb threat next door. The television personality had to go on air with her hair unfinished; it looked extremely slicked back. This drastic new look drew comment from viewers, and the television personality was quick to defend Anne: “This is not Anne’s doing!”
Though they’ve lived in California for decades, the women still see themselves as Irish, and they love experiencing the United States. “Americans are wonderful,” Marice says more than once during our conversation.
Creative Passion
What comes through most clearly in talking with Marice and Anne is their genuine love for their work. Marice describes the work as “creative,” and you can see her light up when she talks about it.
Anne goes even further: working at the salon is “the best thing ever to happen” to her. Well, other than maybe her family, including her grown daughter and son.
This isn’t the enthusiasm of new business owners trying to convince themselves they’ve made the right choice. This is the deep satisfaction that comes from decades of doing work you love, with people you care about, for clients who appreciate what you do.
The Same, But New
As I prepare to leave Michele International, I’m struck by what Marice and Anne have accomplished. They’ve taken everything that made their previous salon special — the relationships, the quality, the warm atmosphere — and recreated it entirely.
In a world that often demands novelty or Instagram fads, there’s something extremely refreshing about a business that’s perfected the art of staying the same. Michele International’s new space feels like a fresh start and a continuation all at once.
“I feel that I leave home to come to work,” Anne tells me, “and when I come to work, I am coming home, too.”
After everything they’ve been through, that feeling of consistency — for the sisters, their staff, and their beloved clients — seems like the most valuable thing they could have created.
Michele International is located on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica and welcomes both longtime clients and new faces looking for that perfect combination of skill, warmth, and genuine care.
(310) 454-1885 | 1106 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403
