Deadline Detroit: Shops Have Come and Gone in Downtown Royal Oak, but Alex Emilio Salon Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary

Owners Alex Lekocaj and Emilio Giglio first met while working as young hairstylists in Birmingham. In 2001, while still in their 20s, they opened the first Alex Emilio Salon on Main Street in Royal Oak.

Since then, the salon has grown to two locations in Royal Oak and Birmingham and a team of more than 50 employees. Through decades of change in downtown Royal Oak, Alex Emilio Salon has remained a longtime fixture in the community.

In this Deadline Detroit interview, Alex and Emilio reflect on 25 years in business, the growth of the salon, and the journey that brought them from young hairstylists to owners of one of Metro Detroit’s established salon brands.