2019 MODERN SALON 100: Savannah Laney @hairbyduhsavannah

Savannah Laney, @hairbyduhsavannah, is all about creative color – and creative use of whatever is handy (she used the wreath from her mother’s front door as a halo for one of her favorite shots.) Speaking of her mother and creativity, Laney shares that the two have a little side hustle - “Sugah Momma’s”- a gourmet cotton candy business.

Savannah Laney

@hairbyduhsavannah​

Pink Salon, Inman, South Carolina

Specialty: Creative color

Top-performing post: This was really hard to narrow down because I utilize Facebook and Pinterest a lot too, but I believe it was my “Saint Autumn” look. It got me runner up in the Pulp Riot “fallintotheriot” contest and was reposted by almost every major outlet for hair. I think it was just a really interesting shot, but I loved it most of all because I literally used my mom’s fall wreath off her front door to make the “halo” look on my client!

Favorite apps: Adobe Lightroom to sharpen my pictures and correct any kind of weird toning my phone did to the hair. I’m a firm believer in understanding that sometimes how we see hair with the naked eye doesn’t always translate through the camera lens, so it’s great to have these tools to show our audience how it really looked in the moment. I also like Facetune to blur the background of my pictures.

I follow: @hairbymisskellyo, @caitlinfordhair, @kristinacheeseman, @_snegga_, @roxiejanehunt

Pro tip: Lighting is a must. I prefer outdoor indirect lighting for a crisp picture. A clean background is key. If there is anything too distracting behind the hair it will draw the eye away from your masterpiece. Polished styling, braiding isn’t my strong suit, so I make sure to do clean and textured curls or a sleek blowout to really capture the color in the picture.

Hidden talent: I can do a root retouch, trim and style in 45 minutes.

Fun fact: My mom and I run a gourmet cotton candy business on the side. It’s called Sugah Momma’s.

My audience follows me because: From what I’ve been told, it’s because I’m honest and real on my posts. Nothing fancy here—just your average hairstylist trying to make people pretty!

How social media changed my life: It completely transformed my career. I come from a generation of hairstylists where iPhones, Instagram and Pinterest didn’t even exist, so I was late to the game in understanding the benefits of social media. I went from being a small town stylist to traveling and educating with one of the most popular color companies in the world. I’ve met so many amazing people and learned so much all thanks to networking through social media.

My first @modernsalon feature: I think it was my “Saint Noel” look I did for Pulp Riot’s “Holiday Slay” contest. I took my icy blonde client and added green and red extensions to her hair. It was a pretty incredible thing to be reposted by such a huge and iconic publication!

Click here to the see the full list of this year's MODERN SALON 100.