Dion’s South: Richard Dion

If you’re a stylist at Dion’s South on Main Street in Downtown Franklin, you may be jetting off to Europe this fall on a work-sanctioned trip.

In 2007, the destination was Paris, where the staff attended the Mondial Coiffure Beauté hair show. Two years later, they were off to London for a private, five-day cut and color clinic at Vidal Sassoon Advanced Academy.  And in 2010, the team spent time in Portofino to style a celebrity client’s family wedding party before traveling to Venice for vacation – stopping at several top salons in Europe to learn styling and business techniques along the way.

The team loved Italy so much that they will be returning this fall to attend a hair show in Milan.

“We go on international trips for education, but it’s team building too,” says owner Richard Dion. “Our staff is very cohesive, and clients that come in really enjoy the atmosphere.”

Richard began his career in the mid ‘70s – an era remembered by many as the “Renaissance of Hair” – as an apprentice with one of the leading platform artists for Vidal Sassoon, the world-renowned stylist whose name is often associated with the words “hair” and “genius.”

“Sassoon rules the planet when it comes to hair,” he says.

The methods he learned through his training remain a timeless standard for the industry. Richard continues to pass on the Sassoon legacy to his staff.

“We have class one or two times a week with live models,” the stylist says.  “This consistent training, coupled with travel, are some of the things that make us unique in Tennessee.”

Richard has been teaching styling for 33 years, an aspect of his work that will always be a favorite. The other part, he says, is the people that come through his doors each day.

Step into the foyer of Dion’s South, and it’s not hard to see why clients and staff alike want to cozy up in a chair and stay there a while. The four-level salon gleams with hardwood floors and warm finishes. Elegant décor and a baby grand piano add to the ambiance of this high-end haven of hair.

From the products – Shu Uemura and Kérastase –  to the Shiatsu massage chairs in the shampoo systems, the emphasis is on luxury. And though it exudes an aura of exclusivity, Richard makes sure to create a welcoming environment for all, along with a menu of varying price points.

“I love taking a client who has a good haircut and blowing their mind with an amazing one,” he says. “And I truly care about people, so that keeps me stimulated. I love my job.”

For the master stylist, his salon means more than creating masterpieces with hair. He says his Christian faith has influenced the way he interacts with those who come through the Dion’s South doors.

“I don’t think I’m here just to do hair,” Richard says. “After all these years, I still find it enriching getting to know my clients.”

But his passions aren’t limited to people and hair. He’s a life-long surfer and avid snow-boarder, carving out time throughout the year to hit the sea and the slopes. He’s just returned from one of the few areas with ski-able snow conditions this year – Whistler, B.C. — and is currently in the midst of planning a surfing trip to Indonesia, where there is “one of the best surf camps in the world.”

Richard is a Los Angeles native, born and bred. Though many of his and his wife’s family and friends still live in California, they moved their family to the Nashville area in 1989 to raise their children.

“I felt prompted to leave L.A., and when I came here I felt a great peace,” he says.

Coming from a thriving downtown area with an old-town feel (Richard owned a salon is Pasadena, Calif., previously), he knew he wanted to find a similar aesthetic in Tennessee.

“I wanted heart, and I found it in Franklin,” he says. “It’s very entrepreneurial around here. There’s something incredibly unique.”

Richard says he and wife Linda have made a strong connection with the community since their move 21 years ago.

“It’s a pocket of wonderland. We feel blessed to be here.”

To learn more about Dion’s South, visit its website.