The Emporium: a North County salon like no other

Celebrating its grand opening on August 14, Ferguson's Emporium Salon offers traditional spa services with a holistic and organic twist.

I can’t remember exactly where I met Suz Pratt for the first time, but I do know that I liked her immediately. Suz is just one of those people who radiates positive energy, and as soon as we started talking, I felt like I had reconnected with a long lost friend.

A petite redhead and certainly old soul, Suz has a nurturing personality that feels like a nice warm blanket on a cold day. She’s also what you might call a visionary salon owner.

Visionary not because she was the first board-certified hair colorist in the state of Missouri, or because she was a pioneer in the development of “organic” hair color. No, Suz is visionary because she truly has a vision.

Formerly the owner of the Hair Emporium in Florissant, the veteran cosmetologist recently fulfilled a longtime “calling” by moving her business to a cozy old storefront in Ferguson, renaming it the Emporium Salon, and transforming it into far more than just a beauty shop. Using her extensive knowledge of holistic medicine and natural remedies, Suz now runs a unique wellness center and day spa that tends not just to the hair and body, but also to the mind and spirit.

Equal parts salon, apothecary, museum and lending library, the Emporium Salon nestles the back edge of Ferguson’s historic Bindbeutel building, a circa-1895 National Register property that’s also the largest Victorian-era commercial building left in St. Louis County. Step inside and you’ll find a wee but inviting space that’s just like Suz herself – a little bit quirky, a little bit mystical, and a little bit rock n’ roll.

Antique dressers and Suz’s massive “lucky” mirror line one wall, defining her actual work station. But look around and you’ll also discover a whirlwind of sensory delights – lush plants, sparkly crystals, weathered shelves of emerald green elixir bottles, just like an old pharmacy. Suz has even hung vintage beauty shop memorabilia from the ceiling and plastered one hallway with vintage concert posters, but her favorite parts of the salon are her colorful handmade educational displays, which discuss old-world approaches to health and hygiene.

“Bohemian is definitely a good word for it,” Suz, 47, says of her shop. “But more than anything, I want this to be a place where people just feel comfortable…where they can rejuvenate and heal and hopefully learn something.”

Suz Pratt explains the magic of her gem-infused elixir waters

As far as services, the Emporium Salon offers everything that a traditional salon does – hair cuts, color, facials, manicures, etc.  And Suz, a lifelong NoCo resident who grew up in Moline Acres, truly is a skilled stylist and aesthetician. The key distinction is that she only works with all-natural products, which is awesome. Oh, and she’s a “lightworker.”

That means she takes a holistic (or whole self) approach with each of her clients, tending to the health of their physical body but also to their spiritual and energetic body as well.

“I’m not here to diagnose people or do anything that interferes with Western medicine or someone’s religious beliefs,” Suz says. “What I do is share the knowledge I have about these old-style home cures, which have been around forever and do work. I also think I’m a natural cycle-buster, in that I help people make a fresh start on their life journey…I can help them heal on many levels.”

One treatment that Suz uses frequently is the castor oil pack, a folk remedy also known as palma Christi, or palm of Christ, which the famous medical intuitive Edgar Cayce frequently touted for its remarkable healing powers. Applied to the afflicted area, castor oil packs have been known to treat everything from liver toxicity and poor digestion to headaches and circulatory issues.

Suz is also a big proponent of homeopathic Bach flower remedies, which were developed by a British physician in the 1930s, as well as gem-infused elixir waters, which she makes herself by “charging” water with sunlight or moonlight and precious gems like smoky quartz, garnet or rose quartz.

“Rose quartz can work wonders on a sunburn, and garnet can help speed up healing,” Suz says, explaining that she performs all of her spa services using elixir water that’s specially chosen for each client. “It just depends on what that person needs. Like if they needed to clear out some negative energy, I might do a facial using smoky quartz with Thieves Oil (a centuries-old herbal blend). That can be really powerful.”

Rejuvenate your cells underneath Suz's specially designed crystal grid

Also powerful, Suz believes, is the impact of blood type on your diet. Seven years ago, inspired by the work of Dr. Peter D’Adamo, she gave up meat and alcohol to suit her type-A blood and she insists she’s never felt better.

“I just knew if I was going to help people, I needed to have my own act together,” Suz says. “But I’m still a naughty girl. I still smoke. Just now I count my poisons and limit them so I can stay healthy and balanced.”

If you want to learn more about Suz’s “poisons” philosophy, she’ll happily tell you. She’s also incredibly open about her family, her spiritual journey, her aversion to electronics, and the fact that money is far from her primary motivation.

“None of this has ever been about the money,” she says. “For me, this salon is more of a social experiment…. Really, I wonder every day, how many people can I help?”

Suz already draws clients (of all ages, races and beliefs) from across the metro area, but since opening in Ferguson, her schedule has been busier than ever. “This is such a cool, motivated, spiritual place, I really feel at home,” she says. “I can already tell that I’m needed here, and I love that, since all I really want to do is help people and bring more light to this community.”

The Emporium Salon, located at 18 Church Street, is holding its grand opening celebration tomorrow, August 14, from 1-4pm. Suz is giving away several great prizes, and all are welcome!

The public is also invited to a special event on September 11, when the Emporium is offering chakra imaging (with a 15-page report) for just $40. For more info, call Suz Pratt at (314) 831-9074.  By the way, the salon only accepts cash and checks.

Stop by the Emporium and you might meet Suz's daughter Chelsea. If you ask, you might also learn about using family "life charts" to erase bad karma and heal emotional wounds.

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