Meet the Team

The faces behind the magic

Meet the People Who Will Make Your Hair Dreams a Reality.

Our team is warm, talented and endlessly passionate about their craft. Every single one of them is here because they genuinely love what they do. And it shows.

At SJ Establishment, we do not just hire great hairdressers. We build a team. Every stylist and colourist here is committed to ongoing education, creativity and the kind of personalised care that keeps clients coming back.

From our Director to our Senior team, the level of expertise in our salon is something we are immensely proud of. And the warmth? That is just who we are.

OUR PEOPLE

The Team

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Sam James

Global Ambassador and Educator

With more than 20 years behind the chair and Australia's 2024 Hairdresser of the Year title to her name, Sam James has spent her career doing one thing better than almost anyone else: making every client feel like the only person in the room. Known for her thorough consultations, her honest professional opinion and an ability to educate clients in a way that actually makes sense, Sam brings something rare to every appointment, a genuine understanding that great hair starts with a real conversation. These days her passion sits equally across the chair and the business of running a salon that her team genuinely loves coming to, because she knows a happy team is what makes the client experience at SJ so different. By her own admission she never shuts up, is probably already close friends with most of her clients and is still taking on new faces when the timing is right because she has never been able to resist a challenge. Twenty-plus years in and she still cannot believe how fast it has gone.

3

Tina

master

Twenty years this July and Tina is still the hairdresser her clients whisper about when someone asks where they got their hair done. Specialising in colour corrections, vivid colour, curly haircuts and textured cuts, she brings a quietly extraordinary level of skill to everything that sits in her chair. Her clients keep coming back because she listens deeply, goes above and beyond and has an uncanny gift for brightening your day even when you did not know you needed it. Away from the salon, Tina is a passionate entertainer and cook, a committed adrenaline junkie who has won King of the Burnouts and still gets behind the wheel of her husband's hotted-up car better than he does. She can be the chatty one or the quiet one depending on the energy in the room, but she is always down for a good laugh and a bit of banter. Come for the colour. Stay for everything else.

2

Amelia

master

Amelia started her hairdressing journey in early 2019 and has not slowed down since, building a reputation as a colour specialist who genuinely loves the science behind what she does. From lightening and vivids to extensions and blowdrys, she brings a perfectionist's eye and a refreshingly honest approach to every result. Her clients describe her as professional, thorough and completely adaptable, whether you want to talk the whole time, sit in comfortable silence or have someone really listen, Amelia will read the room and deliver. Nominated for AHIA New Creative Talent in both 2024, 2025, and 2026 she credits Sam's mentorship as the turning point in her career and has her sights set on becoming a lecturer herself one day so she can do the same for someone else. Outside the salon she is a committed media nerd across TV, film, anime, video games and music. And if you happen to be running late, a lactose-free iced vanilla latte will absolutely smooth things over.

5

Melinda

EXPERT

Melinda knew she wanted to be a hairdresser from the time she was a little girl and nearly eight years in she is exactly where she belongs. Her specialty is lived-in balayage and she is equally at home with women's short haircuts, barbering and braids. Her chair is a judgement-free zone where you will actually understand what is happening to your hair, because Melinda makes a point of explaining the why behind every step from colour theory to hair health. Her clients come back for the results but they stay for the chat, as Melinda is famously entertaining company and has been told more than once she should write a book. Outside the salon she is a devoted Disney fan (the tattoos are proof), sings at full volume on the highway and has a particular softness for children, especially sensory and autistic kids who bring her enormous joy. Bring a photo, trust the process and enjoy the ride.

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Bella

SENIOR

Four and a half years in the industry and fully qualified for one, Bella has already made her mark as a finalist in the AHIA Australian Apprentice Hairdresser of the Year 2024 and 2026 Australian Emerging Stylist of the Year Finalist. Her thing is blondes and she is very good at them. Formal waves, short blunt bobs and all things styling are also firmly in her wheelhouse. The energy Bella brings to the chair is genuinely infectious, that perfect sweet spot of professional and fun where the work is taken seriously but the appointment never feels like hard work. Real, warm and always up for a laugh, she has an equally focused professional side that comes out exactly when it needs to. Outside the salon you will find her at a music festival or cheering on her football team. When you sit in Bella's chair you will feel welcome, appreciated and very well taken care of, with a guaranteed side of good energy.

6

Mabel

SENIOR

Five years in and Mabel has built a quiet reputation for the kind of attention to detail that makes clients feel genuinely seen. Her specialty is colour, specifically the considered, subtle kind where a small shift makes a transformative difference to how you feel when you walk out. Known by her clients as a brilliant listener with a calm and grounded presence, Mabel describes herself as a big chiller who loves a deep and meaningful conversation over small talk any day. She completed her Certificate III through Clip Joint and has continued to grow her craft at SJ under Sam's mentorship. Outside work she is passionate about board games and video games and treats both as a completely legitimate form of self-care. One last thing from Mabel herself: please do not apologise for coming in with dirty hair. That, she says, is literally what she is there for.

Ready to Meet Us in Person?

Booking with a new stylist can feel daunting. But it does not have to. We are a warm, welcoming team and we are always happy to chat through who might be the best fit for you.

New clients save $30 on their first full-price service.

102a Prospect Road PROSPECT SA

hello@sjestablishment.com.au

08 8344 4515

Working Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10 am–8:30 pm
Wednesday: 10 am–8:30 pm
Thursday: 10 am–8:30 pm
Friday: 10 am–5 pm
Saturday: 8 am–3 pm

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