Adeline Inc. moves, continues to offer natural styling services
Adeline Wright owns and operates Adeline Inc., a boutique salon that has been locally known since 2002 when it opened in Duluth. Recently, the salon relocated to 1132 E. 9th St. where Wright and her employee Susan Jagunich continue to provide natural hair care.
- Wright and Jagunich
- Waiting area
- Adeline Inc. salon
Family and friends of Adeline Wright remember seeing her develop an interest in hair styling when she was as young as five. After giving herself a haircut like figure skater Dorothy Hamill’s, Wright moved on to cutting her friends’ hair. She recalls bringing scissors and styling materials to middle school dances and setting up a mini-salon in the cafeteria.
“I never actually attended any dances because I was always doing everyone’s hair,” Wright said. “It’s something I’ve always been known for, and I love it.”
This childhood interest in hair styling has only grown over time, as Wright now owns and operates Adeline Inc., a boutique salon that has been locally known since 2002 when it opened in Duluth. Recently, the salon relocated to 1132 E. 9th St. where Wright and her employee Susan Jagunich continue to provide natural hair care.
Services offered by Adeline Inc. include haircuts and colors as well as facial waxing. Wright said that a major part of her business is providing natural hair care with products that do not come from animals and are environmentally friendly, which means she does not do perms, offer acrylic nails, or use products with sulfates, terrapins, and other strong chemicals.
“What I’m trying to do is use things that won’t damage the water or end up in Lake Superior when I pour them down the sink,” Wright said. “I try to get the best materials in the industry, and I’m always exploring and trying new things as technology advances.”
Wright has even looked into putting gardens onto the roof of her salon, and she sells homemade products, handbags, and jewelry that are all made by her clients. “I just want to be a good example of a sustainable business and keep the flow of local businesses going,” she said.
A Duluth native, Wright attended the Minnesota Center for Arts Education, now the Perpich Center for Arts Education, in Golden Valley. She went to cosmetology school at the Model College of Hair Design in St. Cloud, graduating in 1997, and also received advanced training at the Jon English Hairspa in Minneapolis.
Adeline has been working professionally as a master stylist and hair colorist ever since she completed her schooling, and she now has more than 15 years of experience in the industry. Wright has always had an interest in the arts, and she carries her talents as an oil painter and singer into her work as a hair stylist, displaying many of her paintings in her salon.
“She really is a hair artist,” said Adeline’s mother, Cathy Wright. “She has been very bold and creative all her life, and she really likes to make anything her canvas. I don’t know how she does it.”
After working at the Jon English Hairspa in Minneapolis where she specialized in children’s hair styling, Wright decided to return to Duluth in 2001. She moved into the Washington Studios Artists’ Co-op in downtown Duluth where she lived with a close friend, Kirsten Aune, who is a local artist.
Following a snowstorm that took place one afternoon, Wright and Aune decided to go on a walk. They eventually passed Greysolon Plaza, which Wright later found out was no coincidence.
“Kirsten told me to peek in the window, and then she said, ‘This is going to be your salon.’ She told me I needed to do my styling,” Wright said.
Two months later, Adeline Inc. opened. The salon relocated several times since its original location on East Superior Street, and it opened Nov. 2 at its new location on East Ninth Street, where Wright hopes to be for a long time.
Wright said her landlord stripped everything in the building back to the way it was originally, revealing maple hardwood flooring and a tin ceiling. Manufactured locally, the tin from the ceiling dates back to the late 1800s.
Jagunich, who has more than five years of experience as a hair colorist, began working for Wright in June. Both said they work well together and have become close friends.
“Susan and I have a very special relationship,” Wright said. “It’s all about the quality of the relationship that makes the magic happen. People get a better hairdo because I deeply care about them and focus on communicating with them.”
“From the first day we started working together, it was like we were a well-oiled machine,” Jagunich added. “Working as a team was like a no-brainer, and our clients get a unique experience because of the team dynamic.”
The duo describes its style as contemporary and classic, and Wright even does styling for many musicians out of Minneapolis. She has recently been featured in the magazines “Minnesota Bride” and “Lake Superior Weddings and Events.”
“I like to refer to the work that we do as ‘hairapy’,” Jagunich said. “There’s real soul work that happens at Adeline’s everyday. We really love our work, and we want our clients to feel loved and cared for.”
Wright hopes to continue to expand her business, while making time to be with her daughter, Galalee, and wife, Rachael Kilgour.
“I feel like I’ve finally reached the point where I can grow as an entrepreneur to create more jobs for the community,” Wright said. “I want to expand with other business ideas. I love what I do, and every single day I come to work I’m excited.”
For more information about Adeline Inc. visit www.adelineincsalon.com or call (218)728-8099. The current hours for the salon are: Tuesday – 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday through Thursday – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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