Fringe Salon

Holly does the best color. I wear my hair short, and even though I know she is an «up-​do» specialist, I have absolute confidence in her and have my entire family (of daughters and granddaughters) going to her now.

So, I“ve strayed from Emory a couple of times in the last 5 years. Once because I moved far North and thought I had found a better (or equal) colorist. And the first two times I did get good highlights, but she let my hair get gold, ugh – not cool. Another time I convinced myself I had a better hair cutter (at $ 80 a pop) and I realized that was just silliness.
The upshot – You cannot beat Emory Tankersley. She’s thoughtful, smart, tuned in and knows her stuff. Prices are good and she cannot be beat. Convenient to DT and a cool vibe in the salon. I enjoy seeing her and won’t leave again!

I was very disappointed. I have dark blonde hair naturally, above shoulders, it was in excellent condition. I do hi/​lo lights, bleach and #5 dark. It is very easy. I spoke on the phone when I booked appointment w her and ask about products she used. Told her NO toner on my hair. There is no need for toner on my hair if processed properly. It is very dark at her station, no natural light. I wanted my hair trimmed and shaped up. Well, when washing, I asked if that was a deep condition she put on, «No, it’s a toner». I was so upset. Then she cut my hair into basically a mullet. Blunt short top layer, I kept asking if she was going to blend the layers? «Oh yeah, don’t worry»
The color was everything I asked NOT to have. No yellow or gold. Just baby blonde and dark. It is not difficult. I cried when I got into my car $ 200 dollars later. I was not only yellow blonde and gold It had a pink tint to it and all my baby blonde I had prior was non existent. It was awful and the dark washed out to brass within 2 weeks and I use Pureology Products on my hair. I had an awful experience and had to wait weeks to get some correction to it. I wish I would have had a better experience as no one likes there hair ruined and to pay 200.00 for someone to do it.

I adore Holly. Is that enough said? :)
She rocks and does my hair like a champ! I always feel like a total diva when I leave… and that is saying A LOT… since that’s not my deal at all! :)

I’d been generally dissatisfied with the high end salon on Burnet Rd I was frequenting and needed a change. I just didn’t feel as though the quality of service was there for the price I was paying. I’ve been getting my hair colored since I was 16 (and often have done my own hair at home), so I’d like to think that I know what makes a good (or bad) salon experience.
While Fringe is decidedly more low-​key and is basically the average going rate for salons in Austin, it is way closer to my house and I thought I’d give it a try.
Stephanie has been able to transform my single-​process, boring red to a multi-​dimensional, golden and highlighted situation that I really love. She does admittedly take her time, but if I have somewhere to be, she’s respectful of the time frame if I’m upfront about it. Otherwise, I don’t really mind letting her go at whatever pace she prefers. I am never one to rush a stylist. As others have suggested, she can be chatty, but that’s A-​OK with me because we have a lot of the same interests and likes.
The salon itself is a patchwork of the different personalities of the stylists who work there, so don’t expect cookie-​cutter. Expect laid-​back, fun, and friendly.

Chris is amazing. I had full highlights done and love the look so much! I’ve never had more compliments on my hair. I also loved how he just whipped it all up and i knew exactly what i wanted with only little description. I think i’ve found a hidden gem and plan on going back from here on out.

I love Heather Camden. And sorry to get all full name on you, Jordan Catalano, but there are two Heathers, so one must be specific.
Now, I could write a review about how Heather Camden’s a good stylist and she did pretty highlights for me once or saved my best friend’s bangs or blah blah blah, but I shall not do that. Because Heather Camden has a superpower that is far more impressive than swoop bangs: color correction. We are talking, dyed it black at home, tried to get your mama to fix it with bleach, orange stripes, now no one will touch it, fixin to fall out — color correction. Is this a cheap service? No. Is it hard to find someone who can actually correct your ill-​advised/​drunken inspiration? Yes. She will fix that Deep Space 9 look you have going on (unless that is your thing) and make you look like the respectable office manager or mom or gutter punk that you are. Underneath that funky mess. And, like Kenny Rogers, Heather know knows when to hold ‘em and knows when to fold ‘em — while she will attempt to salvage your length, she will cut it if it is gonna fall out (no sense giving you a cute style that will break off in the shower).
How do you know this about Heather, you ask? Yeah, I have destroyed my hair at least once a year for the last ten or so years. Heather will look at it, smile weakly (a smile that says, «oh, we’re still doing this?») and present me with my options (sometimes highlights, sometimes an all-​over process, sometimes — when I have been very bad — a short bob). Then she gets to work blending the various colors or evening out the harsh tones or heavily highlighting to mask the crazy, whatever needs to happen. And, she has blues and greens and purples and pinks on hand if you decide that your highlights are already kinda pink so why not just go all the way? Then cut, style, and move on.
Her prices are very affordable, but keep in mind: color correction is not cheap. So, while she is below market in my opinion (especially considering her skill level, experience level (20+ years) and downtown location), this is not a budget service. And it is a by-​consultation pricing (your hair may be a bigger mess than you think).
Nice location, parking, blah blah blah.
BTW: I am so ashamed to admit this because I should know better: I am a hairdresser (no longer professionally — got out of the biz not too long ago). So, yes, I try new things, sometimes they go well, sometimes they don’t. Heather deals with the aftermath (it is hard to correct your own errors and getting the back even… yikes). So, Heather Camden is a hair dresser’s hair dresser. She knows what she’s doing, she’s super-​chill, no cooler than thou vibe, reasonable prices… What more do you want? Freak.
Oh and she’s booked six months out. So get on the waiting list.

Fringe Salon is like an old friend from college, oh wait, it is exactly that…
I have been going to John Cantu at Fringe salon since college, which is over ten years ago. Good lord. My decrepit age aside, I clearly love the place. The salon is not your hoity-​toity spa and massage type of place. The people who work here are cool, genuine and very talented (usually in more things than just hair). You are very likely to get your hair done by a guy or chick you saw rocking out on a stage last Saturday night. The place is clean, laid-​back and fun.
If you are looking for highlights, John is your man. As I said, I have been going for over 10 yrs and have been receiving compliments from strangers on my hair ever since! So, stop on by and be sure to bring a bottle of wine to enjoy while you treat yourself to a new do’!

I just started going to Fringe when the fabulous Raine moved there. I have been going to Raine for many years and she always knows exactly what to do to make me look great even if I have no idea what I want to do with my hair.

i was surprised to get such a terrible cut & highlight after reading all of these reviews. then i found out that from my stylist (!!) that she had friends & family write reviews for her, because she heard everyone looks on Unilocal for reviews. (i still can’t believe she told me that.) do i really need to go on?
my bangs were cut about ¼ of an inch too short, so i left looking like i was about 10 years old. instead of trimming up my layers, she simply took off 4 inches!?! and yes, i went in with a photo.
she didn’t want to use any sort of color reference for the highlights. i was just looking to update my current highlights so i wasn’t too worried. i ended up looking so unnaturally bright blonde, i was actually embarrassed to leave.

Anne was very accommodating and squeezing my friends in between her other appointment for a last minute request.
She did a great job on their feathers & we will use her again.

I was tired of my boring hair but couldn’t really color or cut it so I decided to get feathers for the first time.
I got a feather chain and it looks amazing! it’s been almost two weeks and the feathers are still in and looking fabulous. If you get feathers, have Anne do them! She is incredibly sweet and creative. I had no idea what colors to pick because there are so many. Anne artfully chose the perfect feathers together and they stand out in my hair so well!
Everyone always ask me where I get them done because Anne did such a great job! I highly recommend anyone getting feathers to get them from Anne.

Any place can really give a haircut. Most places even do it well! The best cuts are done by barbers that can put one at ease and have some personality!
I’ve been going here off and on for years. Chris, the main man, is awesome and very funny. His staff are the same. They are great at what they do! I think all cuts start with a shampoo and rinse, which just gets me all sorts of relaxed. I have (had) really long, frizzy, crazy curly hair and was at a loss with how to cut or style it. Chris and I went over what i was looking for, and then he just did his thing. Even with short hair, i just come in and say «make me look great», which he has never failed at!
Chris seems genuinely interested in whatever conversation we are having, and remembers the details even when I only come in every few months. I believe a barber should relax you and carry a conversation if one is desired. He and his staff do this superbly.
The atmosphere is great as well. Giant mirrors adorn the place, and great music plays all day. The entire team have a real hard on for great music and it shows in their music and décor.
The only sore spot I have is getting an appointment, sometimes it’s a week or more out or during weird hours. Great for college, not so great for corporate America.

I have sent many a friend to Heather Barclay, knowing full well that she will deliver a fantastic haircut every time. I have one friend that claims that Heather is the only stylist to ever be able to tame her bangs! (I do adore the way Heather cuts my bangs.. .)
I have been going to Heather since I moved to Austin, 5 years ago and have followed her from Hairy Situations to Fringe Salon. I am always amazed at her dedication to her trade and the passion she has to deliver the perfect cut. I have never had a stylist so in tune with delivering exactly what the client wants — she asks plenty of questions and has an ‘interactive’ portion of the hair cutting so that you never leave disappointed. I can’t recommend her enough!

I’ve been seeing John for er, um, uh… at least 15 years. I was a long hair hippie when I first went to him, now I’m all «grown up» and normal hair lengthed. My cost has not gone up once in that time frame.
I’m a guy, I could go to one of the chains and get cut with a clippers and a spray bottle for just a little less. Nope. I’ll gladly pay a bit more and get a proper cut, with wash/​dry/​gel, from a friend.

I’m an ass. I totally used Unilocal to find Fringe salon and I love it. But I’m not going to tell you who I see because I love love LOVE that I can call to make an appointment for a cut and highlight and get an appointment almost immediately after work (prime hours that are usually super hard to get). And I love even more that it doesn’t break the bank.
Just know, he/​she rocks. And I really want to share and have your hair look as great as mine does at a totally reasonable price. And I really want you to enjoy chatting with him/​her while you’re stuck waiting for your hair to cook (because when you have a boring stylist the 2 hours can be an eternity). And I really do want him/​her to be wildly successful and make oodles and oodles of money making people look fabulous… but I’m an only child and I don’t share well, so just check Fringe out. I’m sure no matter who you get you’ll love your hair.

I love Fringe. I’ve been coming here for probably going on three years now.
Pop quiz: If you’re an Asian guy (ok, sorry about the generalization. Correction– if you’re ME) which hair styling choice do you take?
A. Grow it out. Get lots of Bruce Lee and/​or mullet comments.
B. Go to any place where you pay bargain basement prices for a haircut and come out looking like a stereotypical nerd with your hair sticking out every which way.
C. Flowbee.
D. Go to Heather Camden at Fringe, who KNOWS how to cut Asian guy hair, and doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for it.
Sonia is also in the awesome hair stylist category, and Melissa at the front desk is in the awesome front desk ladies category.

Emory has been cutting/​coloring my hair for years. Favorite things about this stylist:
1. She understands what you say you want even if your hair vocab is a bit deficient.
2. If you don’t know exactly what you want, cut or color, she’ll suggest several alternatives to help you figure it out.
3. Her cuts grow out nicely, so you look good a couple months later.
4. She’s comfortable with conversation but also just chilling, so no stress on having to talk to your stylist for an hour while your hair gets colored.
5. When you say you want low maintenance hair you get Low Maintenance hair that looks great.
Some days i feel like taking a photo to send her, thanking her for years of easy, great looking hair.

Sonia is amazing!
She has won awards from Austin magazine for her skills in cutting hair with razors. I have been getting my hair cut by her since I was six and have never been anything other than happy after one.

Steven Anthony is the bomb.
My hair is, how shall I say, uncooperative. It doesn’t grow long, it grows BIG. This guy instantly knew the cut I needed, and had the stylish, messy look I wanted. And, (most important to me, as a guy), it’s very easy to take care of and style.
Prices are reasonable (especially for the quality of cut) at $ 30 for men & $ 40 for women, he gets me in SAME DAY almost every time, he’s easy to talk to, and the cuts «last» longer than other stylists I’ve been to.