Sho Studio

I really hate to give this place such a low rating because the staff were super welcoming and friendly. However, since this review is mainly about my haircut, I would have to say I am extremely disappointed with the way it turned out; especially for $ 100. My hair stylist was a middle aged Asian lady, Haruki, I believe.
First off, it took her forever to cut my hair, as if she was cutting it for the first time. She would cut a little and then analyze it, and go back to correct it, and then step back to analyze it some more. This went on for about 2 hours. You figured after that many hours it would be a masterpiece – NOT! The end result? Blunt/​choppy ends, crown of head lacked volume, and there’s absolutely no style whatsoever. Throughout the entire experience, she only used one pair of scissors. Not that I’m an expert, but because the bottom on my hair is so thick, she should have used sheers to thin it out to create these wispy long layers. Instead, she cut everything straight across with a few uneven strands in the front to supposedly «frame» the face. Even that she didn’t do it right. To create layers, it has to be gradual. Right now, it looks like a mullet. I don’t have time to deal with the blunt ends on the bottom every morning, so I’ve been tying it up in a ponytail until I find another stylist who can correct this problem.
Her skills and styling techniques are very outdated. After dropping a $ 100 at this place, I was expecting a more modern and stylish haircut. Big disappointment.

Love the layout of the salon, décor is tasteful however that all gets tossed out the door when you hear Suzuki (one of owners) open his nasty mouth and speak poorly about his staff and assistants. It’s one thing to be entertained by that sort of childish small minded behavior while watching reality shows on TV, however seeing it in real life and wondering how someone could treat their employees in such a manner in front of clients (there were 3 guest there at the same time as me) gave me a deep feeling of sorrow for that poor misguided man.
I loved my cut and would consider going back for that but the poor attitude of the owner will keep me away for good.

Love this salon. Suzuki is the best colorist and stylist I have ever used.

How can there be no mention of Scott Patrick in the reviews of this place so far? He is a color genius and also cuts hair amazingly as it turns out. Pricey but you get what you pay for, and he is completely forthcoming and candid about what will look good on a person and what will definitely not. Make an appointment well in advance to ensure you can get in when you need to. For the record, I do miss my previously reviewed hair genius, Dennis from Gro, and I would still recommend him without reservation, but being able to go to the same person for cut and color is where it’s at for me right now. What truly sets SP apart is his ability to create a color story that a) is totally complimented by the haircut and vice-​versa, and b) is utterly sophisticated without being too over-​the-​top or avant-​garde unless that’s what you happen to be looking for. Plus, he’s very sensitive to someone’s maintenance tolerability scale. My main goals are to cover any grays, look good on both wash-​and-​go and blowout days, and only have to come back every three months or so without looking totally grown out. Done, done, and done!

BAD!
I am Japanese and I was expecting that someone could cut hair like they would in Japan. WRONG.
This lady (middle age) was a hair stylist in Japan… but I guess she stopped learning new techniques and such.
Who cuts hair wet unless you cut your hair really short… Nobody does that in Japan now. And she cannot do lyers. Just HORRIBLE. But yes she can speak Japanese if that is all you want.
I now know I have to fly back to new york.

Suzuki gives it to you straight. I brought in pictures of hair cuts I like and he said, «I can do that, but with your hair type, it won’t look good». We talked about what I wanted my hair to do and he came up with a game plan to meet my wants that would work with my hair. Michelle washed my hair and it was SO relaxing! It was like a massage. Then Suzuki cut my hair and was very careful to show me how to style it and a few different options. He was charming and pleasant to talk to while he worked. He mentioned how much he loved his job and it shows!
I thought it was going to be MUCH more expensive than it was. I LOVE my new hair, I LOVED the experience and I’d pay half again as much as he charged.
I’ll making him the only one that cuts my hair from now on!

This is the only place to go for japanese straightening in Chicago. Suzuki straightens my hair and also highlights it, and it is silky smooth, healthy and straight. The stylists at Sho don’t just know cuts and products — they really understand hair. They can give you beautiful hair no matter what nature gave you.

Had highlights done with Scott and he’s terrific! My hair looks very natural– well done! Scott couldn’t have been nicer. Will definitely go back!

I still cannot find anyone who can cut my hair the way they do it in Japan. I have really thick long hair and it gets hot and difficult to deal with in the summer so I like it when the hairstylist is able to cut away and layer my hair so that it feels much lighter yet the length is still there. If I’m going to spend 80 dollars plus tip then I want to feel different and look different when I leave. Frankie did seem like a very nice person but she was also afraid to cut my hair as if I was going to freak out about loosing the length.
I didn’t really bother to look at the prices on their website because I read that the prices were reasonable and there were only 2 money signs on the Unilocal website so I figured it wouldn’t be that expensive, but shoot, 80 dollars for a trim is pricy for me. When I asked the receptionist dude to charge the tip on my credit card, he gave me an attitude about how next time I need to bring cash for the tip. Seriouslly, I just paid for an 80 dollar haircut and you’re scolding me for not having cash for tips? Ugh…

I have lived in Chicago for 15 years and pretty much traveled out of state and even out of the country for haircuts until I met Frankie in 2008. She is absolutely spectacular in her skill. She is able to understand what you want, and more importantly, she will tailor the look to suit your face. I haven’t had a bad cut once. I also get compliments on my hair frequently on a weekly basis. ALL THANKS TO FRANKIE! Try her at least once.
The prices are reasonable and best of all, you will NOT be disappointed.

I moved to chicago four years ago and for the most part still went back to my old stylists whenever i visited Taipei or LA and would only get a cut in chicago when I was desperate. I just hadn’t been able to find a stylist who is very good with asian hair and pleasant to work with, not until i went to Sho.
i went to sho studio in November with the living social promotion. my friend had suzuki and i had esther. both of us were very pleased with our cuts. at first i was a little disappointed that i couldn’t get an appointment with suzuki (he only had one opening on that day), but after reading the excellent reviews of esther here on Unilocal,i went with her. it was proved a great decision! esther is friendly, very personable, and listens attentively to what i wanted. i was a bit indecisive about what exactly i wanted (whether to keep growing or cut it short), so she stepped in and offered her professional opinions. unlike other stylists who usually criticized my previous cut by a different stylist, esther actually praised that it was a very good cut, just not fitting anymore after a few months because of the fact that i have a lot of hair in the back of my head. she also advised against chemical treatment (coloring, straight perm… etc.) that i was kind of thinking of. i would imagine most stylists would go with the customer’s requests (especially the ones that will involve more $$), but not esther, which made me feel that she was really thinking for the customer but not just her business.
all in all, a very good experience. although a bit pricey ($ 100 first visit, $ 85 thereafter), i will most definitely go back to sho studio in the future.

ANGEL (FORMERLY SALON BUZZ) IS AMAZING!
I have been seeing Angel since he was at Salon Buzz and he recently has moved to SHO STUDIO!
I am very particular with my hair and Angel always does an amazing job! I have thick, coarse, asian hair. and he does an AMAZING JOB!
I give him a general idea of what I want, and he gives me some suggestions and after i have FABULOUS Hair!
He is great with modern and creative cuts!~

Lost but then… found! I had no idea that I was in jeopardy of losing (or for that matter, I had no idea that I had even lost) my stylist, Angel Marquez (formerly of Salon Buzz and now at Sho Studio)! I went through this once before (and unfortunately, suffered the indignity of having to go to another stylist for a period of time)… and trust me, I don’t ever want to go through that again. In any event, Angel has found me! I love the new digs — very modern, very hip (reminds me of NYC salons), very clean and most importantly, it’s Angel’s new home. Everyone at the salon is friendly and upbeat… and truthfully, I’m inclined to try a few other services upon my return visit. So, if any others out there are missing their Angel, do not fret — he’s at Sho Studio; if you need contact information for Angel, feel free to drop a line!

I miss Esther. She’s awesome and I highly recommend her as a stylist. I like going to salons and saying «do whatever you think looks good as long as I can still put my hair in a ponytail I don’t care». she totally got it and ran with it and I always had good cuts. Once she even recommend red under layered blocky highlights which were bad ass and perfect for work because i could hide them or show them off. It’s expensive (about $ 90 a cut) but you get what you pay for :)