The Curl District

Salon offers ‘Homegirl Energy, Luxury Experience’

In middle school, Aubriana Jackson’s English teacher wrote her a pass excusing her from class so she could style her friends’ hair for their eighth-grade graduation. Jackson said she knew then that hair was her passion.

She began doing her own hair and the hair of her five sisters at 10 years old. Growing up in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, Jackson remembers walking down Grand Avenue past Aveda Juut, a salon and spa, and thinking, “That’s how I want my salon to look.” She was also familiar with Black-owned salons filled with Black women and lively conversation.

However, Jackson said both spaces had aspects she wanted to steer away from. On one side, she didn’t see people who looked like her. On the other, there was overbooking and long hours.

“Growing up, there was always just this disconnect,” Jackson said. “I was never like, ‘Oh, I only want to do this type of hair or that type of hair.’ I just loved hair. And I never saw someone do hair to the level of excellence, service-wise and atmosphere-wise until I created my own salon.”

By combining the luxury aesthetic she admired in white-owned salons with the comfort and familiarity of Black-owned salons, Jackson created The Curl District.

Today, Jackson specializes in natural hair and coloring, services she said she was often told Black people could not do healthily while growing up. The Curl District’s mission is to revolutionize the beauty industry by setting new standards for all hair types through services, client education and regulation.

Jackson, a licensed cosmetology instructor, previously worked at St. Paul College, where she obtained her license. She later stepped away from teaching to dedicate more time to her salon.

“I market myself not as a hairstylist, but as a hair coach,” Jackson said. “I’m focused on helping Black women and women with curly hair understand that when we know our hair and begin to love our hair, we can have long, healthy hair.”

She said the Twin Cities still lack natural hair salons compared to cities like Atlanta, Detroit or Chicago. “The market for natural hair salons or natural hairstylists here is really slim,” Jackson said. “That’s part of why I specialize in what I do.”

Developing the local beauty market also means building relationships with other professionals, including braiders, barbers and nail artists, she said.

“I’m very intentional about connecting with other people in the industry so we can do referrals,” Jackson said. “But I always tell people I don’t believe in having any style at the expense of healthy natural hair.”

Jackson opened her St. Paul salon two years ago, but she said it will not be her last. Her long-term goal is for The Curl District to become the first Black-owned franchise or chain salon. Inspired by Aveda Juut, Jackson envisions multiple locations offering the same level of excellence and expanding options for people with curly hair.

The salon’s tagline, “Homegirl Energy, Luxury Experience,” reflects the atmosphere Jackson aimed to create. Inside the salon, neutral tones fill the space, from the floors Jackson laid herself to the walls she painted. The goal, she said, is for clients to feel both elevated and welcomed.

“I want people to know you can come in and still have old-school beauty shop vibes,” Jackson said. “We’re talking, I’m asking about your kids, we’re building real relationships. But I also want people to know those days of setting aside your entire day for a hair appointment are over.”

She wants clients to understand that their hair matters. “Especially in the Black community, hair can feel like such a task,” Jackson said. “I want people to know this is a necessity. When you look better, you feel better.”

Jackson said what sets her salon apart is transparency and communication, from explaining the products she uses to walking clients through each service. “I don’t really believe in having a shampoo assistant,” she said. “The experience starts with me. I should be the one assessing, conversing, and building that trust.”

Other priorities include time management, customer service, and ensuring every client, ranging from 3 years to 100 years old, feels comfortable. “I don’t want to change the music based on who’s walking in,” Jackson said. “There might be gospel, there might be R&B, but it’s always family-friendly. It sets a tone of welcome.”

In the coming year, Jackson hopes to fully staff her salon and open a second location in Brooklyn Park or Brooklyn Center, where The Curl District began five years ago when she rented a chair at Glam Luxe Studio. Many of her clients still travel from those areas.

Finding people who share her passion, however, has been a challenge. “I have a good problem,” Jackson said. 

“I’ve been booked and busy since opening, but I’m tired. Finding people who truly want to be part of The Curl District vision and help expand the industry has been difficult.”

That reality has also made marketing and securing funding more challenging. “I’m usually working in the business instead of on the business,” she said.

Looking ahead, Jackson’s 10-year goal is to open her own cosmetology school, change laws, and establish regulations that incorporate natural hair styling into formal education. Graduates of the school would have the opportunity to work in Curl District salons.

“I want the Curl District to be a starting point,” Jackson said. “I want young women fresh out of school, people who want to be part of a team and have some stability while they build their clientele. That step from school to ownership is something our industry is losing, and I think it’s vital.”

For more information, visit www.thecurldistrict.com.

Damenica Ellis is a freelance journalist and contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.