The owners of Chalk Salon & Co. were invited to work their magic doing hair and makeup on models walking the runway at New York Fashion Week.

That’s the massive event where famous designers like Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger showcase their latest collections.

“Lorelle actually works for this (Australian hair care) brand called Evo, and they are sponsoring New York Fashion Week. So they had reached out to her saying like, this would be a super cool opportunity. You should absolutely take advantage of it,” recalled co-owner and esthetician Sarah Perrin.

“A couple of days later, I get a text message saying ‘hey, I heard you’re a makeup artist, if you could send a portfolio, we can see if you’re the right fit.’ So that’s kind of how we got our foot in the door.”

New York Fashion Week, held in February and September each year, is a series of events in Manhattan spanning seven to nine days where fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the public.

It is a major event on the fashion calendar, and runs until Sept. 11.

But even with the incredible invitation, it wasn’t an immediate ‘yes’ for the Perrin sisters.

“It’s a big financial investment, because we have to pay our way, essentially. So at first, we were like ‘Do I do this? Do I not do this?’ But it’s such a massive opportunity,” explained co-owner and stylist Lorelle Perrin.

“We’re working for free … but you’re getting covered by The New York Times. And I think it’ll be the experience for me, to go and suck up the education and then bring that back.”

Chalk Salon and Co. has been in its current location on 1st Avenue North since 2019. (Alex Brown/CKOM)

From humble beginnings

Lorelle and Sarah have been operating Chalk Salon & Co. since 2019 but their roots in the industry go farther back.

Growing up in Saskatoon, both sisters were interested in hair and make up.

“I was rocking a full cat-eye from age 11, so I’ve always loved doing makeup,” laughs Sarah. “Lorelle has always been hair.”

Lorelle jumps in, saying: “I definitely went through the tomboy phase, and then I went to hair school and learned how to do all those things. But even when I was little, I would put ponytails and clips in my dad’s hair, so I feel like it was always my path.”

Going into business together wasn’t always the dream but the sisters got the opportunity after a retail store Sarah was working at offered the sisters the lease space for a hair salon business.

Chalk Salon & Co.’s Perrin sisters Lorelle, left, and Sarah have been in business with each other since 2014. (Alex Brown/CKOM)

The sisters opened their first salon as a basement suite before making the jump to an official downtown Saskatoon space in April of 2014.

“We were a little bit further, kind of near Midtown. And then we closed that one down, opened up here (1st Avenue North)in 2019. So we’re just over 10 years in the salon game,” said Sarah. “We’re obsessed with this location. It is everything we dreamed of ,and more.”

“Our idea was to do everything differently when we opened this business, take all of the things about our industry that we didn’t love, and try to change the whole momentum,” expands Lorelle.

“We are an education-based salon. We have a pretty intensive associate apprentice training program here. We really believe in continuing education, and supporting people … in their career journey.”

Through the ups and downs of launching a business, the sisters have always had each other.

“We definitely bumped heads a little bit at the beginning. But when we opened up Chalk, we zoned in on our own strengths and weaknesses,” said Sarah.

“We get along really well. We rarely fight, and if we do, we have a process for it,” added Lorelle.

“I think it’s changed our perspective on the industry, and we want to hopefully change the experience of those coming up in the industry today.”

Chalk and Co.’s Sarah, left, and Lorelle Perrin are ready for the challenge of backstage stress at New York Fashion Week. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

The road to the runway

After accepting the invitation to work backstage at fashion week, Lorelle and Sarah have been practising their editorial skill sets.

The dynamic duo will be divided, working in different departments for makeup and hair.

“You have to be invited by the head artist for whichever department that you specialize in,” explained Lorelle.

“You have to put your creative genius aside and learn what the vision of the designers actually are, and recreate what they’ve come up with.”

Lorelle worked backstage for Canadian Fashion Week in Toronto in 2009, and says timing is a make or break moment for a lot of stylists.

“We would have a model come in and there would be hair, nails, makeup… and they would be ‘this girl is walking in 60 seconds’,” Lorelle remembers.

“There’d be 10 of us working on this one model to get her ready in 60 seconds. And you just did it. And it worked.”

Sarah has been part of the bridal make-up scene in Saskatchewan for the past 13 years, and said she is used to pressure.

“When you’re put into that situation, you don’t really have the option (to be stressed). It’s sink or swim.”

Listen to Alex Brown’s story on the Perrin sisters at New York Fashion Week

One of the Big Four fashion weeks

New York Fashion Week is one of four major fashion weeks in the world collectively known as the “Big Four” — Paris, London, and Milan make up the remainder of the list.

The Chalk Salon & Co. sisters are hoping the New York invitation is the start to an international career.

“Our goal is to do Paris next. We’re going to try to meet the people and make an impression and be invited to Paris next year,” Lorelle said.

“They invited me to Paris this year, but again, you’re paying your way there. You have to pick and choose, right? But who knows, maybe next year we’ll go to Paris,” Sarah said.

And while the fashion and beauty scenes may be larger in New York, Paris, or Milan, the Perrin sisters say that Saskatchewan is a place that you can call home and achieve your dreams.

“You can make your mark no matter where you are. I think a lot of people think ‘I have to move away and do this and do that’. But, Saskatoon’s a pretty hard place to beat,” Lorelle said.

“You can do what you want to do where you are. You just need to have a path on getting yourself there.”

“I would say just be a sponge and absorb (the) education. Never get to the point where you think you’re too good for something, just always be open to learning new things and trying new things,” adds Sarah.

The Perrin sisters flew to New York on Sept. 2, and had training on Sept. 3 and 4.

They then participated in fashion shows at the Prince George Gallery in New York at the weekend, before flying back to Saskatoon today.

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However, it won’t be business as usual. There will be many operational changes aimed at restricting the spread of COVID-19.

Kassy Moen, a stylist at Sage Beauty Bar in Saskatoon, joined The Brent Loucks Show on 650 CKOM to break down some of the changes.

For one, stylists will have to wear personal protective equipment when seeing clients.

“I’m going to be wearing a surgical mask, not necessarily N95, but an examination mask. We don’t have to wear gloves, which would be difficult to do a short haircut wearing gloves, but we have to practise really good hand-washing and sanitation between each guest,” she explained.

“We’ll be wearing aprons which will be changed out between every guest, and also eyewear. We just want to make sure that our guests and our staff are as safe and as comfortable as possible.”

There will also be fewer people inside the building at all times to maximize physical distance.

There will be a maximum of four stylists working at any given time with only one client each.

Despite the differences, Moen said Sage Beauty Bar still has received many calls to book in advance.

She’s confident in the stylists’ ability to adapt. However, there is one aspect of regular operations she’ll miss the most.

“The biggest thing is I won’t be able to hug anyone,” she said. “I’m a hugger — I’ll get you with a hug whether you’re coming or going.”