Our Stylists
John Michael Pascazio, Stylist and Owner
John Michael, known to some as “Spike”, has been creating beautiful hair styles for clients for more than 20 years. An expert in color, cutting and styling for women, John Michael also prides himself in cutting men’s hair the way a man wants his hair to be cut. His biggest satisfaction is making his clients beautiful, and giving them grooming advice and pointers to keep them looking their best. When not at the Salon, John Michael can be found cooking up Italian delicacies for his friends or enjoying the beach with his husband Brian and their dogs at their home on the Eastern Shore.
Rachel Branger, Stylist
Rachel has been a hairstylist for the past fourteen years, the last 6 of which have been here at Aquilano Salon. She loves meeting new clients, learning about them, and then making them beautiful with an amazing haircut. She also enjoys working with our “wedding party” clients and doing up-do’s. Blessed with a sarcastic sense of humor, she keeps us all laughing regularly. Married to a Parisian whom she met when he was a study-abroad student at her high school, Rachel and her husband Vincent have just welcomed their first child, Stella.
Sandra DeRensis, Stylist
Sandra has been styling hair in some of Old Town’s best salons for the past 22 years. Six years ago, Sandra made the move to Aquilano and is here to stay at the salon that she considers “home”. A woman with long wavy hair herself, Sandra specializes in working with female clients who have medium to long, wavy or curly hair, bringing out their natural beauty with creative haircuts and color treatments. Outside of the salon, you might find Sandra running along the bike path or weight training in the gym.
Samantha Harmonie, Stylist
Sam began her career in the hair industry five years ago when she joined Aquilano as an apprentice. She has blossomed into a great stylist! Sam enjoys doing color and foils on all kinds of hair, and is also quite a pro in doing razor cuts. Most importantly, it’s her goal to make her clients beauty speak to their personalities through exceptional hairstyling. In her free time, you might find Sam singing rock/blues/folk music and playing guitar at Open Mic nights at local bars in the area.
Craig Miller, Stylist
An American Board Certified Hair Colorist, Craig has been working in the Northern Virginia area for the past 12 years as both a stylist and an educator. We’re proud that he’s now part of the Aquilano family. Craig is a master at designing the perfect cut to compliment his client’s style, personality, and ideal hair color. He also enjoys doing color correction. When not working at Aquilano, Craig likes to translate his creative talents to the theater world. Most recently, Craig was the Hair and Make-Up Designer for The Keegan Theater’s summer 2011 production of “Steel Magnolias” in Washington, DC.
Ralph Mercier, Stylist
Ralph is well known in Old Town Alexandria, where he's been styling hair for men and women for the past 30 years. He entered the field in 1979 with a 4 year apprenticeship, has owned his own salon, and then spent the past 10 years at a local Salon. A true pro with color and "cutting architecturally" according to face structure, Ralph likes to present his clients with new ideas for a color change or cut change every season. He loves long hair on his female clients, and believes "just because you're 40, you don't have to cut your hair!" In his free time, Ralph performs stand-up comedy around the metro area, and enjoys refinishing furniture.
Brian Friend, Massage Therapist
Brian has been working in the beauty industry for years, but has recently turned his talents towards the art of massage therapy. His quiet and gentle nature, combined with his strong hands, make Brian the ideal person to transform your body into a state of calm and relaxation.
Norma Page, Nail Technician
Exclusively trained Master Technician, with 22 years of experience and listed with Biltmore’s Who’s Who, Norma provides unequaled quality and workmanship to the hands of clients in Alexandria, the White House, television personalities and many other familiar faces in the Washington area.
