We chatted with Atma Beauty's creative director, Sheenon Olson, 39, for the November–January 2017 issue of Time Out Miami. The stylist/photographer, whose salon is celebrating its one-year anniversary November 19, gave us the lowdown on Sunset Harbour, his favorite neighborhood spots and his adorable canine companion, Ricardo.
What do you think sets Atma apart from other salons?
We embrace the locals and have created a standard that you would see in New York and Los Angeles. I think everyone is moving in that direction; I just saw an opportunity to bring it to Sunset Harbour.
What’s the trend in hair for Miami these days?
Miami used to be a little bit more glam and that’s really shifting to more of a beachy feel.
What do you like most about working in Sunset Harbour?
When [my business partner] Anna and I opened Atma a year ago, we both felt like this area really catered to locals. It’s not commercialized like Lincoln Road. Everybody here is a local business owner; there’s a real community. All the exciting stuff that’s happening in South Beach is happening here.
How would you describe Sunset Harbour to someone who’s never been?
It’s kind of like a mini SoHo or a mini Venice Beach—before they got really big. It’s a place where the locals want to go. It has a down-home feel.
What do you like most about working in Sunset Harbour?
Everybody here is a local business owner; there’s a real community. All the exciting stuff that’s happening in South Beach is happening here.
Do you have any favorite spots?
My friend Jonas Millán’s Sushi Garage, and then you have [Thai restaurant] NaiYaRa and Panther Coffee, where I always end up running into at least six people I know.
How has the neighborhood changed since you opened here?
Everything is much better now: We’ve had the entire street and sidewalk redone, and the city put up new street lamps and raised the roads to keep them from flooding. There’s a ton of growth that’s happening; it’s what people are talking about. And there’s parking!
How long have you had Ricardo, Atma’s unofficial mascot?
Three years; he’s a rescue I met on a photo shoot for Fashion Tails—a nonprofit organization that brings awareness to animal rescue.
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