The Aveda Institute Vancouver has a long history in the city.
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The news:Aveda Institute Vancouver partners with Vidal Sassoon for two new hair school locations.
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What to know: Michael Levine has a long history in the Vancouver hair industry.
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The master hairstylist opened his first salon in 1998. At that time, he also became the educator for Western Canada for the hair care brand Aveda. Levine parted ways with Aveda in 1999, going on to open three salons throughout the city with partner Liz Abreu. The duo founded the Vancouver Hairdressing Academy in 2011.
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“We had already been training and developing talent internally since 1998, and felt it was time to formalize our education system into a school,” says Levine.
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West Coast Table
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Following the closure of the Aveda Institute on Water Street in Gastown around 2023 (an operation the duo were not involved with), Levine and Abreu are bringing Aveda education back to Vancouver with two new locations for the hair school, in South Granville and South Surrey.
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“We wanted to create the kind of school we wish more young hairstylists had access to,” says Levine of the new institute. “Smaller classes, stronger mentorship and education grounded in real salon experience. Hairdressing is a craft, and students learn best when they are immersed in it every day alongside working professionals.”
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Pairing Aveda curriculum with heritage brand Vidal Sassoon’s ‘ABC cutting system’ geometric technique, the new academy will focus on small, seven-student programs that last six months.
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“Vidal Sassoon and his team changed the language of modern hairdressing,” says Levine. “Combining that technical foundation with the culture and creativity of Aveda, and the real salon environment of our institutes gives our students an incredibly complete education rooted in both precision and modern salon reality.”
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The locations also offer services to the public, which are priced base on length of hair and time spent on the styling service. A haircut with a new stylist starts at $55, with additional services such as highlights starting at $150.
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Aveda Institute Vancouver is currently accepting applications for student intakes for their Vancouver location at 1469 West 8th Ave. and the South Surrey location at 101-2828 152nd St. Levine says the demand for new stylists is high, and the career can be a very rewarding one.
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“There is tremendous demand for quality young stylists and it is an incredible career,” he says. “I’ve literally lived all my childhood life fantasies through hairdressing.”
