As I drive through the bustling streets of Hahndorf towards the salon I note what a stunning part of the world we live in. The Adelaide Hills, especially in Autumn, are simply stunning. With beautiful coloured trees and foliage, hints of smoke billowing from chimneys, warm scarves and boots galore. This provides such a great sense of home to me. Having lived in the hills for 9 years now I have never felt more of a sense of belonging and peace. Rewind to those early years of living in the hills and this is where I first met Delvene, or Del as those who are closest to her call her. I was looking for a new salon and was given Dels name by chance. When I first walked in to that salon for the first time I was met instantly with warmth and kindness.
Over the years I looked forward to my appointments and always left with a smile on my face and beautiful hair. I’ll never forget chatting with her one day and she mentioned her and her partner Dav were getting married, would I like to photograph their wedding?! Ummm yes! Was my immediate answer. I was pregnant with Chloe at the time but we figured out it would all work out well with timing. Del, Dav and her son Jov met me for a coffee to chat all things wedding where, excitingly, she let me know that she too was expecting! Fast forward a few months and I photographed her and Dav’s wedding ( I was 8 months pregnant and Del was 6! It was the most wonderful day and Del looked like an absolute queen. From here Delvene gave birth to sweet Lukas & went on maternity leave. Following this something switched in Del and she decided to follow her dreams, back herself and open her own salon- Delvene Hair Co. in the heart of Hahndorf.
I pull up out the front of Delvene Hair Co and am immediately smiling. Through the window I see Del and her team of hairdressers & stylists working away, chatting and laughing, transforming the looks of their beloved clients. As I walk through I am greeted with smiles and the bustling noise of a busy hair salon. Stunning wall art, posters, rainbow floors, pink walls and just the best vibes around! Then out walks Del looking gorgeous in her pink and black leopard print top, pink hair and giant smile. She gives me a big hug and we sit down to chat.
Oh my goodness Del, look at this incredible space you have created! I am so happy for you and have loved watching your journey and supporting you. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me after your last few branding photo shoots. So tell me, how did you get into hairdressing?
‘Of course, thank you for asking me’ she laughs. ‘Well, I was working in a fruit and veg shop and one day my mum said Delvene, you should do something different with your life, something creative. I was 18, which was thought of to be ‘old’ back then. So I decided to enrol in Hairdressing and fell in love with it’.
That’s amazing, how great you loved it so much at the start, otherwise who knows what you would have done! So tell me, what made you take the leap to start Delvene Hair Co.?
‘Oh definitely’, she says ‘I’m very grateful. I had wanted to open my own salon for a while but was unsure at first. A few things happened, like the birth of Lukas, which helped open my eyes and I thought why not! I didn’t want to create a place that the industry “should be like” instead I wanted to create a space that was a safe place for people to express themselves, to feel heard, a ‘self love hub; and more of a community. I think we have definitely achieved this which I’m really proud of.
You are known for your bright colours and being your unique self, did it take you a long time to embrace that yourself?
‘Look, it took me quite a while to accept myself and to stop trying to be what everyone else thought I should be or what society thought was “acceptable”. I felt like I needed to mould myself into every workplace I worked at and this is why I wanted to create my own space. I also think turning 40 really was a turning point for me. I sort of woke up one day and thought stuff it, I felt free.”
You now have a wonderful team working for you, how has that helped to transform your business?
Smiling ‘It has been so wonderful, to bring on people who have the same vision as me and who want to help empower their clients, it’s been amazing. To be able to reach and connect with others, to bounce ideas off each other and to support each other fully is incredible. Plus they are just really fun to work with!
What were some of the hurdles you have had to overcome to be where you are today?
“Telling myself I can’t do it and the fear of upsetting people, ultimately allowing myself permission to try and to put my whole heart in to it. I suppose I had the drive to create something different and that is scary.
Oh absolutely, terrifying! But you’ve done it and it is amazing. People travel from all over to come and visit you and your team here and to experience the Self Love Hub in its finest form, your salon. So do you think you would do anything differently at all? Any advice for those starting out?
“No, because you learn from things that have happened, how things have played out” she answers instantly. “My advice would be to be clear about what you want, don’t be afraid (however scary it may feel), back yourself 100% and surround yourself with those who will do the same.
You are all about LOVE, EMPOWER, CELEBRATE’ here at Delvene Hair Co, can you elaborate on that?
“Sure! Our statement is all about the love of your hair and how that can transfer to loving yourself, celebrating your wins and ultimately being who you are. We want every single person who walks in and out of our door to feel empowered and loved on.
We have had a few sessions together now, both personally and business branding. Can you tell me what your favourite part of the photos shoots were?
Smiling “All of it! You made me feel like I was in a safe space and I could be my silly self with no judgement at all from you. We had fun and could have a laugh, I and actually, we all loved it! And I’ll never forget our wedding, that was just the best day and you were amazing. I still can’t believe we were so pregnant together!”
Goodness, that was the best most beautiful day- I still remember every wonderful moment. You now have two wonderful young boys, how do you juggle mum life with being a successful business owner?
“You don’t!” Del says laughing, without skipping a beat. ‘Honestly it really does take a village and I lean on mine. My wonderful husband Dav, our Mums, school, childcare- it all helps. I find trying to be in the moment when I am with them is so important. I work most days a week so night time and Sundays are really important days. I get Mum guilt bad some days but with my incredible support network it is starting to ease. I also think being in a workplace where a few of us also have kids and we know what it is like helps.
So tell us, what is next for you and your team?
‘Well, we are entering the Australian Hair Fashion Awards which is really exciting. S lot of prep and planning is going to that and we can’t wait. We have also just introduced Hairdreams Extensions which we are stoked about as well as having K18 on offer for our clients, which is a new amazing brand of hair treatments. We would also like to start planning a few “Self Love Hub’ events soon. They were really successful in the past (we had Sound Bath and Drag Bingo which was SO much fun) and everyone loved them. So there’s definitely a lot going on as well as serving our current amazing clients.
Wow, that is all so incredible! You are definitely busy bees at the moment! I absolutely love following along with what you are offering and your behind the scenes shenanigans over on your Instagram.
Any last words of wisdom?
Treat people how you want to be treated ♡
Where can you find Delvene Hair Co?
Salon: 37A Mount Barker Rd, Hahndorf
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delvenehairco/
Website + Book online: https://delvenesalon.wixsite.com/website
