New hair salon opens

Just a hop, skip and a jump from the Sisters Post Office, New York West Hair Designs is now open for business.

In opening the new salon, New York native Bernice Rossana is finally realizing her dream to work in Sisters - the town she chose to live in 20 years ago.

"I've been looking for a great location to own and operate a small, personalized salon," she said.

Bernice specializes in creating hairstyles that combine a natural look with a European flair, country with cosmopolitan.

"I'm eclectic, not your average person," Bernice noted. "My goal will be that I evolve clients into the look they want with an eye for change in the future," adding that accomplishing that goal requires spending time with a new client, getting to know them and learning the rhythm of their lifestyle.

Lifestyle, facial structure and hair texture are three elements Bernice takes into account in matching a client with a harmonious style.

She likes to educate clients in strategies to keep their hair looking its best, with or without products, from one season to the next. Bernice points out that as seasons change in Central Oregon, so do residents' lifestyles; often their hairstyle may need some tweaking.

Bernice commuted to Bend for the past 20 years, developing her craft and her clientele.

"I have a small, established following and I intend to add clients who are interested in my way of hair designing," she said.

Before settling in Sisters, Bernice worked in Los Angeles as a makeup artist for movies, TV commercials, and for the American Film Institute. She then operated her first hair salon, which she considered very successful, in Long Beach, California for over 10 years. That salon was also named New York West Hair Designs.

Says Bernice, "My signs ... say it all."

In addition to precision haircuts, perms and color, New York West offers facial waxing and eyebrow arching.

The price structure is similar to other upscale salons in town, according to Bernice, and includes a "clean-up" or a bang trim in between cuts at no extra charge. It's a service she believes both men and women will appreciate.

The number of competing salons in Sisters doesn't faze Bernice, who believes that the client-hairdresser relationship is highly individualized and that women, especially, gravitate toward a hairdresser with the "same harmony." She is optimistic about her timing because "as a society we will eventually pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and move ahead. This is the best time for me to open."

New York West Hair Designs is located at 591 N. Larch St. Hours are flexible and include weekends and some evenings. To make an appointment call 541-419-7477, or Bernice invites you to "just stop by to say 'Hi.'"