OUR FOUNDER

Art has fascinated Carolina Coleman since she was a girl growing up in Mexico. She first expressed her creativity through music, attending the Conservatory of Music at the University of Veracruz for two years before a friend in cosmetology school took her to a hair show in Mexico City. There, at 16, the would-be flutist changed her tune.

“I discovered a new art form,” she said, “and a new passion.”

The experience would send Carolina on an ardent journey – encompassing five countries and some of the industry’s top names – to study hairstyling.

The World is Her Classroom

Carolina’s exploration began in a Xalapa salon where the owner organized a cultural exchange program with the Bureau of Cosmetology in Cuba.

“We took creative updo classes from Felo Marquez, who had a program on Cuban television,” Carolina said. “What impressed me most was his artistry. He had so few resources but was so creative.”

Carolina then studied color at the Wella Institute in Mexico City, learning the scientific aspects of hairstyling.

Marriage and the Midwest

In 1994, Carolina moved to Kansas City, Mo., to be closer to her fiancé, Darrell Coleman, whom she had met in Mexico several years earlier while he was studying Spanish. They married in 1995. Carolina continued her career, working at select salons to add a Midwest flavor to her eclectic resume.

While working on the Country Club Plaza, Carolina purchased a ticket to Santa Monica, Calif., to study cutting techniques under Vidal Sassoon, the man whom she says revolutionized hair.

Europe

In the late ‘90s, Carolina became fascinated with the techniques of Luís Llongueras, an iconic stylist in Barcelona, Spain. With cosmetology license in hand, Carolina packed her bags and traveled to the Llongueras Institute to study his approach.

“Luís dignified the profession by teaching that hairstyling is about analyzing the client’s hair texture, height, facial shape, profile and neck,” Carolina said.

In 2005, Carolina also studied at Scuola Trento in Verona, Italy, where renowned instructor Gianni Zaldini taught her the importance of hair to a woman’s overall appearance.

“Italian women are so aware of fashion,” Carolina said. “The hair plays such an important role there.”

Kansas City’s Image Maker

In 2006, with more than 20 years of experience, Carolina opened Eclektica Salon in Kansas City’s Briarcliff Village. Today, the once-aspiring musician creates hairstyles that harmonize with her clients’ natural beauty.

Everything Carolina has learned during the past two decades: the techniques, technology and teachings from masters such as Marquez, Sassoon, Zaldini and Llongueras, converge at the tip of her shears.

“My clients don’t have to travel to Paris or New York to get the latest looks or best stylists,” Carolina said. “It all comes to them as soon as they sit in my chair.”

She begins her consultations with an in-depth analysis of each client’s face.

“My focus is on reading the hair’s natural attributes and cutting accordingly, so that it grows with shape – and even into a shape – that I have envisioned while I’m cutting,” she said.

Carolina then uses color to emphasize her designs. “Playing with the contrasts of dark and light, I can create height, bigger eyes, brighter skin tones, even texture,” she said.

“To me, all clients are celebrities,” she said. “My reward is watching them succeed and seeing their images play a role in their success.” 

OUR PHILANTHROPY

Eclektica Salon is a proud supporter of local non-profits. For more information, contact us by email.

816.587.4159
eclektica@eclekticasalon.com
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