Lebel & Crowe is a laid-back co-op salon located on Dundas West at Gladstone. Opening its doors in 2012, Lebel & Crowe is the brainchild and passion project of long time colleagues Jesse Crowe and Emily Lebel. The two met while working together in a Toronto salon. “We decided to join forces,” explains Emily. “We started small, in a small studio on Queen West, to get our feet grounded. And we learned how to run a business.”
Formed under the banner of friendship, these stylists knew they wanted their salon experience to be different. “We want people to walk away feeling relaxed and confident in themselves and our abilities,” explains Emily. “And hopefully they want to come back again and hang out with us.”
Clients started to hear of the sunny, friendly space on Queen West, and eventually, these entrepreneurs outgrew the location. In January of 2015, they moved to a larger, but still intimate, space in Brockton Village. Their team grew with the happy additions of Caitlin Gordon and Melody Bostelaar, rounding the stylist team off to four. “We all work for ourselves under one name,” explains Emily. “That helps keep things very relaxed.”
The salon operates differently from your standard cut and dye joint. All four stylists share one space, but are their own bosses. This independent attitude carries over directly to the chair, where clients soak up a homey, relaxed vibe. Styling focuses on low pressure ’dos and low maintenance upkeep with client confidence being the ultimate goal. It’s a great place for a hair tune-up, an atmosphere where you can kick it for a while, chatting up your friendly and easygoing stylist.