Avantgarde Salon Inc

I've known the owner of this salon for over 10 years and for those of you who say's the decor looks cheap. YOUR WRONG!!! He has amazing taste!!!!
Go visit this salon and forget all the negative post your reading.

Posted 09/30/09 | Report Abuse

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I sympathize with the poster who has curly hair. I have thick, wavy hair and the one time I tried Avantgarde Salon my hair looked horrendous. I have since found a stylist in Sandestin who does it wonderfully, but I still laugh when I think back and remember the look on my husband's face when I walked through the door with this POOF of hair! haha :). If I had to give this salon a rating, I would say the staff was cordial enough, but the expertise was unfortunately lacking. I agree with some of the other posts here that if you were paying a minimal amount for their cuts, their lack of knowledge would be acceptable ... but when you're paying for the best, you expect close to it.

Posted 08/16/09 | Report Abuse

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I've lived near Destin for about a year, and at first, I didn't try this salon because of the negative reviews on line. But I stopped in one day at the Destin Commons location, when I desperately needed a haircut, and they were great! The customer service is fabulous, the facilities are lovely, and the stylists do a super job. I've tried them for haircuts, facials, and pedicures, and been happy with everything I've gotten done. My teenage daughter goes there now, too, and loves it. Holly, at the Emerald Coast Pkwy location, is our favorite stylist - I'm only sorry I waited so long to check this place out for myself! Makes me wonder if the bad reviews were written by competitors.....

Posted 08/08/09 | Report Abuse

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I have been a client of Joseph Rogers for YEARS! His salons are beautiful and his staff is amazingly talented. I have never been less than thrilled with my results and have never heard anyone in all the years that I have been a client complain about the services they were provided at AVANTGARDE SALON. The services are priced to fit anyone's budget and the stylists are well trained at any pricing level. Even after I moved to Atlanta, GA., I have continued to drive 6 hours to Destin in order to get my hair done exactly they way I like it! I have seen AVANTGARDE through all of their changes and watched them grow into what they are today. I witnessed first hand all of the effort that went in to creating two such fantastic spaces for their clients to receive spectacular services. Thank you to all of the staff of the AVANTGARDE SALON and SPA for always making my visits so enjoyable. Anyone would be CRAZY not to make an appointment with such an AWARD WINNING salon!!

Posted 07/07/09 | Report Abuse

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I have been going to Avantgarde Salon for years and couldn't be happier! The stylists are great to work with and actually listen to what I want. I've never left there unhappy with my style - nor my experience. Of course, I go for the service - not for petty little things like the design of the salon or whether my nasty little ego was stroked. I respect the stylists and they respect me and my needs in return. You can't get better than that!

Posted 06/28/09 | Report Abuse

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I have gone to Aveda for about five years. I have long, curly hair and I don't keep up with regular cuts like I should. In fairness, I often wander in on a weekend when they can fit me in every 6-8 months or so. I should've kept up with one hairdresser over another but they swear when you call that they're all equally trained. All I can say is I've gone in there for the last time. I made the mistake of going to the mall location because I had an hour to kill before I met friends at a movie. I went in with my hair looking o.k. but in need of a trim and shaping up. When the 'stylist' was done the other women (customers) in the salon looked at me aghast. She had so much product in my hair it was just a shapeless glob on my head. She offered that I could "use whatever products I needed on (her) table to style my hair as (I) normally would." Well what the hell am I paying YOU for? I should've made a stink but I was mortified and just wanted to get out of there. Thank god I had a baseball cap in my purse - but no more money for Aveda. Maybe they're o.k. if you have pin-straight hair, but otherwise I would say find another salon.

Posted 06/03/09 | Report Abuse

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I was a little skeptical to try this salon after researching it and reading the reviews on this website, but I decided to take a chance anyway. UGH - I should have listened to you all! I am not extremely hard to please, but it's embarrassing and frustrating when you feel like you have to tell a stylist how to do her job. I felt incredibly stressed and irritated when I left, which is exactly how you DON'T want to leave a salon. And I'm really not one to judge decor, as I firmly believe that amazing service trumps a lackluster interior, but I will admit that their designer went a little cheap on the "decorations", as I'd call them. It wouldn't be that big of a deal, except it's mildly annoying to pay high-end prices for poor service and an environment that is more "Hair Cuttery" than "Saks". To be fair, all the girls seemed very nice ... just a bit young, naive, and should we say ... inexperienced?

Perhaps this salon (if you can call it that) is suitable for locals on a budget, but if you're on vacation or looking for luxury, I'd look elsewhere.

Posted 05/15/09 | Report Abuse

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I have been a client of Avantgarde since 2007. Opposed to the numerous neighboring salons that give 15 minute 30$ haircuts this salon really gives you what you pay for. If you want a cut that's going to look like hell in two weeks or a color that fades quickly you can get that at any other salon in Destin...been there done that...but if you want to get the best bang for your buck then go to Avantgarde. They will give you the best color, cut and even a style that you can recreate at home so you not only look and feel your best when you leave the salon but the next day too when you style it yourself. Their products are amazing for your hair and they have NEVER disappointed me in a cut or color and I have made the rounds among the stylists. I will continue to stick with this salon and frequently refer my clients, I am a massage practitioner, to them for as long as they are operating. Thank you Avantgarde for being truly a cut above the rest.

Posted 04/29/09 | Report Abuse

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After having been a client of Avantgarde Salon & Spa for years now, I have just finished a full day of services at their new facilities and it was great! This is my first trip to Destin since they moved in and I can't wait to go again. I make it a priority to always schedule a spa day to any city I travel to and Avantgarde is easily in my top three. They were recommended to me by a great friend and I recommend them to you, you won't be disappointed!

Posted 12/19/08 | Report Abuse

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Avantgarde is an appropriate adjective to effectively describe the stylists and staff at this salon and spa. To be avantgarde you must exhibit innovative, experimental, futuristic, and ultra modern ideas or methods which are expertly incorporated in all of their services. For two years I have been a client at Avantgarde and have been extremely pleased with their services. As soon as you step through the front door a chorus of cheerful hellos and how may I help yous from the reception staff greet you. After checking in you may browse the nicely displayed Aveda products as you wait for your stylist or spa specialist. The skilled stylists are professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. During the past two years my stylist has been open to my ideas and questions concerning my hair style. I am also pleased with wonderful care and treatment the spa offers with each treatment from massages to facials to mani/pedis. I love the relaxed and esthetic atmosphere of the spa. I hope that your experience at Avantgarde is as rewarding as mine.

Posted 12/10/08 | Report Abuse

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As manager of Avantgarde Salon.Spa, I felt the need to place my own review in reference to some of the other reviews on this site. It is always disturbing to see an unhappy client review, especially when I have personally spoken to only one of the former clients who has reviewed us. We work very hard to rectify every situation as it arises and without knowledge of someones unhappiness, we cannot do so. While we were very disappointed in Mandy's wedding day mani/pedi experiences (neither girl is performing nail services any longer and one is not even employed with us anymore), we did go against policy to try to right her specific situation by refunding all of her money for services.As far as complaints on price, we offer three different pricing strategies based on level of experience. Yes, our senior stylist's prices for cuts begin at $55 and most of these stylists are educators in their fields. We also offer $35 haircuts with our Fresh Talent Stylists. If price is the most important aspect of your service, we do have options.Lastly, all of our staff wear black daily, as do most AVEDA salons. We worked very hard on both of our locations decor and find it offensive that someone would complain on it. The hair/spa industry is very tricky in that we try very hard to please everyone but it is also very easy for someone to receive a great service but complain to receive an additional free service or a refund on the service that they already got. Thanks for taking the time to read all of our reviews and making a decision for yourself!Sami J.

Posted 12/08/08 | Report Abuse

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Last weekend I was married in Destin. I went to Avantgarde to get a mani/pedi. It was pricey, but I didn't mind spending the money b/c I thought I would have received quality services. I wish that I would have just had my hair done, because all of the ladies were disappointed with their nails.

Posted 09/25/08 | Report Abuse

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I was horribly disappointed in this salon. It is amateur and mediocre at best. At first, I thought maybe it was just the stylist I chose, so I gave the salon the benefit of the doubt. I have since tried 2 other stylists and found them just as inexperienced and inconsistent. I am also slightly embarrassed at the way they present themselves, to be honest. It reeks of a salon trying to be on the "cutting edge" of style, as the little girls at the front counter wear all black and the interior is littered with cheap decorations.

I know I sound like a snob, and I'm really not! I just think if a salon has the audacity to charge $60 (or more) for a haircut, they should be able to make the experience worth the money. If I pay this much, I expect the salon to be upscale, sophisticated, and able to do a simple style without problems. Unfortunately, Avantgarde Salon doesn't live up to ANY of these expectations.

Posted 09/01/08 | Report Abuse

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It's too bad that some of these girls have sour apples (but no one really speaks up unless they aren't happy), but they compelled me to speak up about my consistently AWESOME experiences at Avantgarde. I have been going there for several years and am really happy every time I go, even if I can't see my regular stylist! The prices can be high, but they have other prices if you can't afford the highest prices. They always have someone to offer me for my schedule and I've never had any problems with the services that I receive. I will say that the new locations are a HUGE improvement to the old location! I mainly go to the location on 98 but have been to the one in the Destin Commons as well and found it anything but cheaply done!!!!
I can't recommend Avantgarde higher! Their staff is great and the atmosphere is always positive! I don't spend alot on myself but what I do spend there is worth every penny!!

Posted 08/11/08 | Report Abuse

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I agree with most of the other girls on here that this salon is completely unprofessional. I am extremely skeptical that it's Destin's "leading salon", since I've found much better quality and higher class at other salons in this area. The stylists are young and inexperienced, and while the location looks somewhat appealing from the outside, it's furnished very cheaply and is not a very relaxing environment. I went here to get a completely new style, and I've never been more embarrased by the results in my entire life. My poor husband doesn't even know how to react - he can't tell me it looks good, since it's so obvious it doesn't.

PLEASE don't go here! It's so expensive and the work is comparable to the service you'd receive at somewhere like Hair Cuttery. I've since spoken to some of my girlfriends about my experience there, and they also have some horror stories of their own. Trust me - go elsewhere. Your hair will thank you.

Posted 08/07/08 | Report Abuse

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Avantgarde has been Destin's leading salon for over 10 years, and now has an amazing new salon and spa on 98 and a salon in Destin Commons. It features Aveda products and services. The staff is top-notch and the service is unmatched. The spa services are heavenly. And the space is stunning -- an experience you would expect in a major city. Highly recommended.

Posted 07/14/08 | Report Abuse

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Whatever you do, DO NOT go to this salon! I was on vacation in Destin, FL from Manhattan and I REALLY need my highlights retouched and a trim. I haven't trusted anyone but my stylist at home for the past 8 years, but I took a chance on this salon because it was in a semi-good location, and I was desparate! I paid $180 and left looking like a skunk! My hair looked absolutely horrific...when I got back to Manhattan, my stylist took one look at me and almost screamed haha :)! I can laugh now, but I did NOT laugh then.

In a nutshell: It's a cheap salon that is trying to be high-end, but doesn't have the skill or the affluence to do so. Save your money for the real thing.

Posted 07/14/08 | Report Abuse

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Myself and five other bridesmaids from out of town used this salon per the request of the bride. After receiving service from the salon, we would never recommend this place to anyone. We each were charged a min. of $50 and 3 out of the 5 of us had to redo our hair when we got home. For $60 I received a curly pony tail with an exposed bobby pin holding back my bangs and the other two had their hair pulled up on the sides and pinned back with pins that were visible. Something that could have easily been done by a 5 year old. After wasting 4 hours of our time and over $160 dollars, we would never recommend this salon to any bride or bridal party.

Posted 05/27/08 | Report Abuse

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After my son and I lost our home and all our personal possessions to Hurricane Katrina, we evacuated to Ft. Walton Beach, FL and are now residents. Having been a customer of the same talented hairdresser for years, my hair was always well cut and healthy although it was highlighted. Months after evacuating to Florida I needed a haircut and highlights. After a Destin photographer contacted me to do some promotional photos, I noticed in his portfolio a few models with beautiful haircolor and cuts. He told me their color and cuts were done at Avantgarde Salon & Spa in Destin, FL. Their quality services and natural Aveda products are expensive(Haircuts start at $35.Highlights start at $115.).Although I would like to pay less, I consistently receive beautiful highlights and great haircuts from my stylist Genevieve at Destin'sAvantgarde Salon.
By Jean on 10-22-07

Posted 10/23/07 | Report Abuse

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I lived in Destin for about 16 months and visited all the spas inside the big resorts and a couple of private salons before I found Avantgarde. I could NOT get a great cut before them and was so relieved to find my stylist, Christina, and the natural Aveda products too. It is a small building so quarters are a little close, but is is so worth it. If Christina is out I feel comfortable going to any of the other stylists on staff. And they don't seem to overbook my old salon either!

PROS: Stylists that are up-to-date and talented, Aveda products
CONS: minimal parking and close quarters

Posted 07/06/05 | Report Abuse

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