Hairstylist With Buffalo Ties, Embraced New Concept
Submitted by Pat Freeman
Charlene Miles
Charlene Miles, a native of Holly Grove, Arkansas attended Shorter College in Little Rock, Arkansas. She later joined her mother, and moved to Buffalo, New York. Charlene attended the Buffalo School of Beauty, where she was hired at gradua tion by Posner’s Beauty Products. While operating her salon, she traveled the east coast demonstrating hair relaxers.
Charlene always wanted to have a place where a hairstylist could be em ployed and make a good living. Typically, in the Beauty Industry, stylists rented a chair. She was al ways concerned that cosmetologists should be able to enter the field and be able to financially take care of their families.
Charlene embraced a new concept in June of 1980, called “beauty on a bud get”. At that time, she in troduced her $35.00 curl. Channel 2 and the Buffalo Evening News featured stories of people standing in line to receive this ser vice at a fraction of the price. Charlene employed some 18 hairstylists at the 214 E. Utica location.
In June of 1982, Charlene opened her first salon in Detroit, Michigan with even more impactful results. Three months later Charlene opened three more locations in the Detroit Metropolitan area. Charlene also embraced 24 hour service, adding greater success to her op erations. In June of 1983 she opened the fourth Detroit 24-hour location with 40 chairs open 24-hours-a-day.
In December of 1988, Charlene opened her flag ship salon in Chicago, Illinois with two floors and 50 chairs open 24-hours in Beverly, Illinois; six months later, opening three more locations in Chicagoland.
In May of 1990, Charlene opened her Fifth Avenue Salon in midtown Manhattan. The large salon was open 24 hours in the city that does not sleep where her star-studded customer list included Denzel Washington, Jerry Butler, Nancy Wilson, Esther Rolle, Sinbad, and a host of other dignitaries.
Charlene opened additional salons in Brooklyn and Newark and covered the Tri-state Area. Charlene’s Salon of NY was also in Atlanta, Georgia, Houston, Texas, Kansas City, and Missouri.
Charlene was depicted in Jet Magazine as the largest African American Salon chain in the country. She was featured in Ebony, Jet, and numerous newspapers, and industry publications. Charlene was the first African American Woman to own a business on Fifth Avenue. Coined by John Johnson of Johnson Publishing as the Madam CJ Walker of the century. Charlene received several nationally always regal in her dress and loving in her spirit.
Charlene was a member of St. John Baptist Church where she and the Rev. B.W. Smith enjoyed a re markably close relation ship. After moving to De troit, she joined the St. James Baptist Church that evolved to Greater Shield of Faith, where she was a Trustee, and she and Mother Miles maintained a special relationship with Bishop James Jennings.
Charlene belonged to numerous organizations to name a few: Board Member of 100 Black Women, Mary B. Talbert Professional Women, Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star and the Loyal Ladies of the Golden Circle; Board member of the National Hair dressers and Cosmetologists Association, CNN Role Models.
Mother Charlene Miles was born on December 4, 1928, and passed on April 4, 2024, in her Richmond Michigan, home holding the hand of her youngest, Donell, with Shirley and others close by.