Photo by Robert Noles Stylist Anna Kierce cuts a customer’s hair at Envy Salon on South Railroad Avenue.

Photo by Robert Noles
Stylist Anna Kierce cuts a customer’s hair at Envy Salon on South Railroad Avenue.

By Anna-Claire Terry
Staff Reporter

When the salon experience meets a day of shopping, one might find themselves at Envy Salon or Coveted Closet. Eight years ago, owner Holly Surrency opened Envy Salon at 829 S. Railroad Ave. Five years later, she expanded her business by purchasing the property next door and connecting it to the salon. The new space became Coveted Closet, a trendy clothing store for women.
Stylists at Envy Salon gain valuable experience from their required six-month apprenticeship under Surrency.  The Salon takes pride in being one of only two Redken Elite salons in Alabama. This means the salon met certain standards and accomplishments to be named elite. Envy Salon employs 11 stylists, and several are certified by Redken in color and design. “That’s definitely a big deal, and it’s prestigious in the salon world,” Surrency said. The salon operates on a level system that allows stylists to move up in services that they offer as their skills improve. This system is based on experience and demand of the stylist’s time. Prices run from $34 to $64 for haircuts on the level system. A unique aspect about the salon is, with the level system, a client can come in and enjoy a less expensive haircut or a more expensive one, depending on the level of the stylist. “Clients receiving a service of any level are all treated the same, so it really works for both stylists and clients,” office manager Resi Heck added.
Surrency said when she bought the new space and prepared to open a new business, her thoughts were “What does downtown need and what would our customers enjoy?” “It just made sense to have a place where women could shop and get their hair done all at the same time,” she said. Coveted Closet specializes in clothing that is “trendy, but adult.” Heck added that the store often receives positive feedback from customers for offering high-end clothes at affordable prices. “I’m very picky about what I buy; the price point, material and quality,” Surrency said.
Surrency said she has enjoyed watching downtown Opelika grow and change over the years. “I opened a business here because I believed in the vision of downtown. I can’t imagine myself anywhere else,” she said.
For online shopping and more information about the salon, visit www.mycoveted closet.com and www.envysalonopelika.com.