Harmony Hairworks opens its doors in Hamilton

Customers who walk into the new Harmony Hairworks in Hamilton can be excused if they think they are still at Molly’s Cut‘N Crew in Purcellville.

The chairs, mirrors, dryers, equipment – and the entire staff, with the notable absence of Molly Payne herself – all made the move to the new shop at 11-B East Colonial Highway, right next to Progressive Automotive.

There’s an idea – bring your car in for emissions testing or maybe a tune up, and get clipped, snipped and beautified while you wait.

Vicky James, for the last 145 years a stylist at Molly’s, is the new proprietor, and Norma Frye, Brittany Leone, Cathy Enos, Theresa Wolse and Sissy Smith all made the move with her.

For a while, James said, it looked like she and Payne would rent the Hamilton shop and move the business there.

Payne was about to lose was the lease on the Purcellville storefront on North 21^st St. “I told her about this place,” James said. “We both went to school with the owner, Greg Wilmoth (currently Mayor of Hamilton) and Molly agreed it would be a great place to have a beauty shop.”

Payne had second thoughts and decided the project would demand more than she was prepared to bring to the task. James did some soul searching – she had never dreamed about owning her own shop, but she had already invested money and time in prepping the new place – and two weeks later, on July 25, her first business, Harmony Hairworks, opened its doors to its loyal customers.

“My customers have been so wonderful, James said. “They have been very wonderful.”

She was Vicky Lovelace when she came to Purcellville in 1972. James, Payne and Frye were classmates at Loudoun Valley High School when they graduated in 1979.

During high school, James recalled, she worked at a local beauty shop, Jemil next to Southern States on North 21^st.

“I became interested in it and went to Demard Beauty School in Harrisonburg after graduating from Valley,” she said. After a year in school in Harrisonburg, she came back to Purcellville and worked for Jemil for 16 years, and then for Mollie for another 14.

Today she’s in the first year as owner of Harmony Hairworks.

Customers new and old will find the same array of services – offered by the same stylists – that they grew to value at Molly’s in Purcellville. Prices and services are unchanged – women’s haircuts, blow-dry, shampoo, sets and styling, cuts and shampoos for men and children. Highlights and lowlights. If it was on the agenda at Molly’s, it’s at Harmony, including the senior citizen discount.
Call 540-338-2432 for an appointment, or just stop by and say, “Welcome to Hamilton.”