Evie Salon Studio: A Place Where Hair and Art Commingle.

Yvonne Bonaccorso

Evie Salon and Studio: A Place Where Hair and Art Commingle.

By Doug Holder

I am not a patron of hair salons. When I go to have my sparse bit of hair and my beard trimmed I go to an old school barber in Harvard Square. But on this occasion, I made the trip to the Evie Salon and Studio in Davis Square, Somerville. The owner, Yvonne Bonaccorso met me at the salon.  Bonaccorso impressed me as warm and friendly, and of course she was well-coiffed. She told me that the stylish black dress she was wearing was designed at a local shop “whats—nu,” right down the block from her.

Bonaccorso has long been in the hair business. She owned a shop in the 80s in Harvard Square. She has been at her location in Davis Square for the past three years. She told me that, “ Davis Square has been great. We have a lot of foot traffic. We have a lot of students, and young professionals who come to the shop. A lot of Harvard and MIT folks get there hair done here. I definitely see a future for the salon.”

Although Bonaccorso lives in Melrose—she did live on Elmwood Ave. in Somerville for a number of years. She said at times—she misses living in the Square—with all the great activity it seems to be the center of.

Now—you might ask—what is the “studio” part of this salon about? Bonaccorso told me she designed the store like an artists' studio. She has stark white walls that display the works of artists who show their work here. And there is a sort of industrial chic ambiance to the salon as well.

Bonaccorso is a staunch believer that hair dressing is an art. She told me, “ Most people are misinformed about what a hair stylist really does. I capture tones from around the world. Everyone of my stylists try to create a masterpiece. Stylists should be good actors but most importantly humane. They should have an innate way with people. We have to perfect a style that goes with a client's skin color, the shape of their head, and the texture of their hair. We want to achieve a color for a client. We actually paint their hair. She continued, “ I am constantly looking towards nature to inspire my creations.”

The Evie Salon and Studio is very community-minded. And right now they host a number of artists and their work. Bonnaccurso told me that currently they have a series of works by the artist Kim Dyres-Villard on display. It is tilted the “Reforestation Series.” The viewer will see the forest through printmaking, graphite and water color. Bonaccorso also plans to have wine-tastings, and other events to draw people into the store.

As a poet I was interested to hear that Bonaccorso in her long career-- has done the hair of Marie Howe (She describes Howe as a real feminist with a great mane of red hair), Steven Cramer ( the former head of the MFA program at Lesley University), the founder of Agni magazine-- Askold Melnycuz, as well as the writer Gail Caldwell. Bonaccorso told me that poets that inspire her are  Robet Bly,  Reiner Maria Rilka, and Yeats. She said,"The Two Trees by Yeats is my constant companion." I might have asked for a haircut of my own—but my head is devoid of the much desired flora. So I walked out of the shop—further enlightened—here in the “ Paris of New England.”