Fall hair trends: Lani and Stone's Aubrey Poindexter on what's in style for women and men

Mar 29, 2024

Aubrey Poindexter inside her salon, Lani and Stone.

Friday night football. Hawaii. Cherry Street. What do these have in common? A love for styling hair and a connection to Lani & Stone salon nestled in the heart of midtown.

Aubrey Poindexter, owner of Lani and Stone, 1316 E. 15th St., knew she wanted to be a hair stylist from an early age. She got her grassroots beginnings sitting in the high school bleachers during Friday night football games French braiding her friends' hair. In college, she hosted $10 “Frat Fridays” cutting hair in college dorm rooms.

Fast forward to last year when after gaining years of experience, Poindexter jumped at the chance to open her own business when the space on Cherry Street became available.

Lani & Stone offers a classy, yet laid back atmosphere for clients looking for cuts, color and extensions, but also trusted stylists to share in life’s experiences.

"Lani" means “Heaven” in Hawaiian, and "Stone" is an Earth element and soon to be Aubrey’s married name. (Congrats!) Drawing on her love of Hawaii and island-influenced “live in the moment” mindset, Poindexter is intentional on creating an inviting, safe space for clients. Classy light fixtures mixed with palm green reception chairs and bright lighting give the space a clean feel, with subtle nods of a tropical vibe.

Though it doesn’t feel like it outside this hot August, a cool, fall-inspired breeze is soon to blow through giving our summer bleached hairstyles a new look and feel.

This fall, a wild hair to “embrace the opposite” is a trend Poindexter says she’s seeing more and more from clients, She suggests considering pink (or another color) “dimensional” highlights. As some clients are hesitant to commit to full color, the dimensional highlights offer a subtle, yet playfully funky spark to your hair for fall. If you’re a coffee drinker, think adding an extra shot of espresso to put a pep in your step.

“Dimensional” highlights are in this season.

Out of coiffed curiosity, we asked what celebrity style is most requested by women. The response? Hailey Bieber, hands down.

For the gents? An evolution from longer locks during the pandemic to now, keeping the long hair on top - the kind of swoop you’d run your fingers through - with short, closely cut sides. A perfect style for that clean, yet edgy feel.

Other trends on the fall horizon? Throwing back to the 90s-style blowouts. Yes, the 90s are now considered a throwback (and all the millennials sighed). Think Jennifer Aniston or Party of Five cast looks that emphasize a “billowy volume” style.

A 90s-style blowout

After chatting fall trends, we drifted into a real sense of depth behind the (stylist) chair as Aubrey described what she loves most about her chosen path - the relationships. She says she often styles clients for many years and across life moments from prom night to years later at their weddings. She loves finding herself sharing brides’ “first looks” with either their Dads or soon-to-be-spouses.

Travel often creates connections for her too, as she recounted meeting people in places like Cabo San Lucas who find themselves in Tulsa looking for a salon.

She also invests in her staff, hoping to grow them “beyond sweeping floors.” In fact, one of her stylists hand-built the neutral wood reception desk that creates texture in the Earth-toned space.

As far as the salon’s midtown location, Poindexter says it’s perfect. She describes Tulsa as a “big/small” city, but one that is incredibly supportive of local entrepreneurs and businesses, especially on Cherry Street. Lani and Stone opened in September 2022, and as Aubrey approaches the one-year anniversary, she hopes to continue to grow her client base, her stylists and her services offerings.

As we enter the fall season, she encourages Tulsans to embrace the opposite. So, color yourselves dimensional, Tulsa, and breeze into Lani and Stone for something new.

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