Natural curls colored and styled by Shanelle Johnson. Courtesy of @divinebyhm on Instagram.
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) – A local business owner known as “Hair Mistress” is bringing curls and confidence to the Detroit metropolitan area.
Julisa Anderson has styled hair from all corners of the world, growing her brand online while evolving her technique to match today’s trends. With a growing interest in natural hair as a style and Detroit as a backdrop, she now hopes to go even further with a new salon.
“I think hair care is a good form of self-care, so we definitely encourage that here,” she said.
“Here” is Divine by Hair Mistress, one of Detroit’s newest salons, scheduled to open next year. Anderson has 15 years of professional experience and has played many roles in the industry, from offering different styling options to helping her clients feel comfortable with their own hair.
While it already provided an opportunity to wear the hairstyle however one wanted in Detroit and the surrounding area, it is also helping to change society’s view on hair.
From the passage of the CROWN Act to greater efforts to promote more inclusive hairstyles in schools and businesses, more people than ever are embracing their own style. This is where Anderson and her head stylist Shanetelle Johnson hope to give that style a platform to shine.
“I think in the past it was always about promoting a silk press or a perm. But a lot of people grow out of that and get natural curls again. A lot of people fall in love with their natural hair,” Johnson said.
Although she has worked as an esthetician for over a decade, Johnson is relatively new to styling natural hair. Over the past three years, she has learned how to cut, texturize and color natural curls.
Many of these curls are catalogued on the salon’s Instagram page, which features clients with hairstyles of all ages and curl patterns.
One video shows a young woman shaking out her moisturized and redefined locks, revealed by the salon’s special technique, while another shows vibrant red French braids, a playful freestyle from Johnson.
The salon even offers a Sultry Silk Press with wash and steam treatment. The variety of styles reflects the evolution of African American hairstyles for which Detroit is known.
Anderson says the city’s hairdressing industry is what inspired her to move here six years ago. “I knew I wanted to move out of Maryland just to pursue my passion for hairdressing. And then when I saw the hairdressing culture in Detroit, I thought, ‘Oh wow, this is something different.'”
Johnson, a Southfield native, knew as a child that Detroit had a lot to offer, and she says she’s happy to see others realize that, too.
“I feel like there’s been a lot of great classy people in Detroit alone in the last few years,” she said. “I know there are a lot of great stylists and a lot of great salons here.”
Johnson has also noticed that more and more young people are entering the beauty industry, adding: “A lot more people are noticing that we have black stylists here.”
The stylists at Divine by Hair Mistress. Photo courtesy of Destiny Lacree
From star stylist to small business owner
In recent years, Anderson has gained popularity as a celebrity stylist in Michigan. Her Instagram account @hairmistress became the launching pad for her curl-cutting classes and her very own line of products: Moon Child Curl Products.
Anderson never planned on starting her own business this year, but when a salon in Farmington Hills came up for sale, she knew she had to act. The timing was so perfect that the salon was named after him.
“(The name) comes from my favorite song, Lady by D’Angelo, where he says ‘my divine.’ I tried to come up with the name because it was a spur of the moment thing. Opening a store this year wasn’t on my bingo card,” she said.
But as time was running out, a customer asked Anderson what she would name the salon. She was speechless and unsure. The next question would inspire the future name of the salon.
“Then she said, ‘So what’s your favorite song?’ And I told her, so she started playing it, and we looked at the lyrics, and this is all happening while I’m doing her hair. And then it just clicked. I just heard ‘my divine’ and I thought it’s nothing but divine providence that we’re here. And then that just stuck, Divine by Hair Mistress,” Anderson said.
Divine has built a reputation for its customized services and commitment to a quality experience. While the location is currently accepting appointments and walk-in visits, the company will showcase its completed renovations at an official opening on May 4, 2025.
“I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the customer response as we start making the changes. Even the small changes I’ve made so far, people have noticed. They say, ‘Wow, every time I come here, something is different.’ It’s really amazing to see and feel the amount of love people are giving me is such a blessing,” Anderson said.
In the meantime, Anderson is excited to see the salon gaining traction in the community.
“I want to create that ’90s salon atmosphere where people can just unwind and have fun. And we’ve built a family in the years that I’ve been here,” Anderson said. “We’ve had clients who have had babies, gotten married, graduated. So ultimately it’s like we’ve just built a family where people can come in and have fun.”
To schedule an appointment or learn more, click here.
