Downtown salon gets new owner
Joshua Ladner has a dream: push his career in the hair design industry as far as it can go in entertainment.
His husband Vince Ladner has a dream, too: relax and, maybe pick up painting again. Enter Joshua’s longtime client Kaley Barfknecht. The Vandalia resident is purchasing the Oregon District couple’s business, Salon J Ladner at 45 S. St. Clair St. in downtown Dayton.
Barfknecht said big things are in store for the business including a name change, La’Ren 143 (for the middle name she shares with her niece). The number 143 is slang for “I love you.”
“I love to help people feel beautiful on the inside and outside,” said Barfknecht, a health advocate and partner in a health and wellness business.
The Ladners announced in June that they would sell the salon at the St. Clair Lofts building.
Joshua Ladner said he was waiting for the right buyer to come along and said he found the right person in Barfknecht, a native to the
Dayton area.
“I love what Vince and I created for the community. I think we stand for inclusion and making people feel comfortable to be who they are,” he said.
He said he wanted to ensure the spirit of the shop would continue and that J Ladner’s three employees would be left in good hands.
“The team here, they are part of my soul. We didn’t want to snatch that (the shop) away from them because we are looking for a different career path,” he said. The Ladners opened the salon in 2013.
Joshua Ladner moved to Los Angeles eight months ago to pursue his career. He now works as an Oligo Professionals Brand ambassador and an independent educator and stylist at Larisa Love Salon.
He recently worked as a key stylist for Lady Gaga’s “Stupid Love” video, designing the hair of dancers dressed in blue and green.
“It was one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have ever been a part of,” Ladner said of the video.
Vince Ladner, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant, remained based in
Dayton to manage the business. “I am looking forward to spending more time being retired,” Vince Ladner said.
The Ladners launched the hair-care line Blown Away by J Ladner in July 2018 with Jessica Lippy, Joshua Ladner’s sister.
Barfknecht says she did not want to see the salon go. The space will be remodeled and as the owner, she hopes to add as many as eight additional staff members to the salon including a makeup artist and an esthetician who can provide a variety of waxing services.
La’Ren 143 also plans to host wedding groups, yoga parties and other events, Barfknecht said, noting she wants to take advantage of the shop’s proximity to the Oregon District.
Joshua Ladner plans to remain an adviser for Barfknecht and hold education programs at the shop for local stylists during his traveling hair tours. “I am going to tell my friends to make Dayton a stop on their hair tours,” Ladner said. “This will be a hub for stylists.”