ABOVE PHOTO: Adia Bell
By Kharisma McIlwaine
Hair is such a huge conversation in the Black community. The hair industry is also an incredibly lucrative business. According to Mintel Global Market Research and Market Insight, the Black hair care industry brought in 2.5 billion dollars in 2018.
However, although Black women are spending billions on their hair, they do not make up the majority of the people controlling the hair industry.
Adia Bell — a salon owner and licensed stylist for 15 years — is looking to change that narrative. After working for another salon for 10 years, she decided to move into entrepreneurship by opening a salon of her own.
Bell opened Posh Hair Boutique almost two years ago as a full-service salon that offers a number of beauty services, including; hair, nails, makeup and lash extensions. She sat down with the SUN to talk about Posh Hair Boutique and the importance of Black entrepreneurship in the hair and beauty industry.
“I opened knowing that I wanted to be a full-service salon, because I always said that in the African- American community, we don’t have a lot of full service salons,” Bell said. “We see them all the time in Center City and in a few other areas, but in the African American community, we don’t have full-service salons where you can get everything done there.”
In addition to addressing the general practice of African-American women having to go to several locations to receive a variety of beauty services, Bell also saw the need for us to own a stake in businesses where we are the primary consumers.
“We know that the nail industry is dominated by Asians, but in the African American community, we have some really great nail technicians that we need to support and give a chance,” she said. “As African American women, we dominate the nail industry as customers. We’re the ones that get a lot of extra things done like nail tips, acrylic and designs. Those services can run anywhere from $50 to $200. The same thing with hair extensions; we invented them, and we have to bring it back where it started.”
Bell took her desire to bring things back to where it all started in the hair care industry a step further by creating her own line of hair extensions called Posh Pure Extensions.
Posh Hair Boutique — which has eight employees — offers a wide variety of hair services, but specializes in extensions. She is trained in a variety of extension techniques, including i-tip infusions and microlink services.
Those services are suitable for clients that choose to wear their hair in both its natural state or straightened. Bell, who does not relax her clients’ hair, believes in natural hair care and stresses the importance of maintaining and keeping the hair under extensions healthy.
Bell’s goal with Posh Hair Boutique is to provide an upscale, clean, professional atmosphere that is a one-stop shop for beauty services. In addition to the wide array of services Posh Hair Boutique offers, Bell is excited to offer her prom packages to her teen clients this spring. Those packages include hair extensions, hair install, nails, lashes and makeup services.
As a business owner, Bell shared her desire to see other Black women to start and grow their businesses and offered the following advice.
“I want us as African-American women and business owners to be the best we can be, so our establishments can stay open,” she said. “Make sure you do it in your own timing, when you’re ready, and don’t let anyone pressure you. It’s one thing to open a business, it’s another thing to have longevity. Be professional, be on time and the customer service has to be at 100% always.”
Posh Hair Boutique is located at 329 West Girard Avenue. They are open Wednesday through Saturday from 10am-7pm. For more information on booking and services, visit: https://poshhairboutique.com/ and follow them on Instagram at: @poshhairboutiquephilly.
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