Ramirez-Tran is giving those other high-profile Beverly Hills, CA salons a run for their money.
Colorist Johnny Ramirez met Anh Co Tran (he gave actress Ginnifer Goodwin her super-cute pixie) when they both worked at Neil George in Beverly Hills, CA, where they discovered that they had similar work ethics. “We were the first ones in and the last ones out at night,” says Ramirez, who had more than one conversation with Tran in which they imagined owning their own salon. “I’m a big dreamer, always pitching ideas.” What troubled Ramirez was the fact that there were already a lot of reputable salons in Beverly Hills. “A lot of people open salons that go nowhere,” he says. “You have to create a buzz in order to attract the most talented people in the business.”
Ultimately the two threw caution to the wind and decided to “go big or go home.” After buying a former salon on Olympic Boulevard, they gutted it and started fresh, adding skylights and creating a space they call “chic and 
cozy with an artistic vibe.” Social media helped them get the word out. Ramirez started a blog—Box. No 216—more than six years ago and expects all the stylists who work for him to actively promote their work in a similar way.
All that attention to detail has paid off. “There were always four big salons in Beverly Hills that had a lot of heavy hitters working there,” says Ramirez. “Now we’re one of them.” ✂ —Marianne Dougherty
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Ramirez-Tran