René Walter might be a bit of a mystery, but your salon experience shouldn’t be. Already, she’s got you scratching your head with that first line, but don’t worry. She’s a big reason why you’ll love this Denver institution. Most patrons of any hair salon don’t hold a cosmetology license, and René is no exception, so why does she play such a huge role in those magnificent extensions or that sparkling autumn hair color? Because she’s the Front Desk Manager who blends curiosity and creativity into the entire hair experience.
She takes no time to consider her artist’s connection with salon work. Her immediate answer is, “COLORS.” She’s hit the nail on the head. Cutting and coloring hair might appear to some people as a basic hobby, but the professionals doing the work know it’s an art. Color theory is taught in art schools everywhere, but it’s also taught in cosmetology schools. Balayage literally means hair painting. Anyone who’s ever been to the countless national or international hair shows has seen exactly what it means to sculpt hair with a pair of shears. René understands these things, even without a cosmetology license. She doesn’t need it.
While her creative intuition bridges the gap between hair artist and salon guest, René guards a dark ocean of beautiful creatures behind that front desk. There she goes again, being mysterious. Anyone familiar with the nature of a Scorpio and a Sagittarius will agree that the two mixed in equal parts will come out perfectly René-shaped. She’s many things: dark, giggly, Italian, a world traveler, a weirdo, but more than anything she’s an artist.
She says so herself, “I’m extremely artistic…A pencil and paper. That’s it, that’s literally all I need.” That’s why she’s so vital to the Starling environment, but artists evolve from layers of experience. Her outward kindness and extroverted nature might give you the impression she’s an open book and exists to support everyone else, but she’s no Atlas. You could ask: Which came first, the mystery or the creativity? Was she a creature of deep intuition and solitude or was she the spark of imagination first? It’s easy to see how a deeply passionate Scorpio would turn to art as an outlet, but it’s just as easy to see an empathic artist turn inward for solace. It’s no surprise she needs to recharge after a full day at the salon.
“I like my own space…I need time alone, I need to be by myself. As much as I love being around all these humans, I also very much need to recharge. I’m so friendly and I giggle, I’m happy, but if you want me around like that, I need to be by myself too.” Most of us understand how draining social exchanges can be, but artists like René feel it a little deeper.
Those little pockets of secrecy she retreats to protect her life’s story. Did you know she’s been to Hong Kong? “It’s chaos, but it’s happy chaos.” And Belize? “There’s this cave you swim into, which is terrifying. It was an active archaeological dig site.” That makes sense considering as a child her dream job was an archaeologist. You can thank Indiana Jones for that. She also dreamed of composing and working with animals. Did you know she’s a massive fan of the dark side? No, not Star Wars, we’re talking about all things spooky. “I’m very into true crime, horror movies, witchy stuff, Halloween, ghosties. I’m going to CrimeCon!” Maybe that’s not so surprising when you see her on a particularly “spooky ooky” kind of day, she wears her mood on her sleeves after all. There’s a jungle full of booby traps, poisonous flowers, and talking tigers living inside René’s mind.
She encapsulates the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Even on her darkest days, she’ll greet you with a genuine smile, and working behind the front desk hasn’t dulled her artistic intuition. She’s the best soundboard in the entire building, so heed her advice. Or else.
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