It’s the season of giving, and last weekend some very lucky VIP guests were treated to a night of delightful appetizers, sweet holiday gifts, and (of course) incredible wines at the STRIIIKE Salon in Beverly Hills. The salon, owned by the renowned beauty trio Jenn, Kristie, and Ashley Streicher, was decked out to become a Holiday Market featuring festive gifts such as embroidered throws, dainty baubles, and holiday cocktail kits. Guests could peruse the holiday-themed booths provided by sponsors of the event while sipping on wine selected by sommelier Helen Johannesen of helen’s wines. The vessel for the delectable wine picks were custom-printed 14 oz. Vinos provided by Tossware and perfect for keeping spirits bright!
The VIP Night with Helen’s Wine and the Streicher sisters was one of TOSSWARE’s favorite collaborations this year and we took some time to chat with Kristie Streicher of STRIIIKE Salon to hear about how she and her sisters became such lady bosses in the beauty industry, why collaborating with like-minded businesses is so meaningful and what some of her favorite holiday traditions are!
Hi Kristie! Can you tell us a little about Striiike and how the business was conceived?
I happened to be looking for a space to do eyebrows with my team and at the time we (sisters) were kicking around the idea of creating something together since we were all not only in the same industry but finally living in the same city together! This space became available and we jumped on it! The goal was to create a really cool collaborative space to see clients and get them ready for events. Having the space to do so, as well as host events, parties and 'Now You Know' wine nights, has been awesome!
How did each of you get interested in the beauty industry?
[Working in] beauty was really all of our first real jobs out of high school. Jenn and I started at beauty counters in retail and Ashley started in high school by getting her cosmetology license before she even graduated. I went on to esthetician school to study skin and quickly fell in love with shaping eyebrows. We all spent time in New York [where] I was fortunate enough to work at a high end salon doing eyebrows and honing my craft. After 10 years in New York decided it was time to move back to Cali.
We did grow up [as] real tomboys, camping a lot and playing in the dirt. We played in the trees and rivers of northern California, not super fem-beauty-girlie at all! Mom was into style, fashion and beauty for sure and she was a real DIY’er. I remember her waxing her own bikini line -- ouch! She would order mineral make-up powder in different shades and mix them together and she even used to cut and perm our hair as kids! I'm sure the combination of this has played into our no-fuss approach and philosophy on beauty.
Collaboration is obviously a key factor to Striiike and its backstory. Why is it important that you collaborate with other brands and industries like Helen's Wines for this particular event?
It’s the MOST fun part in my opinion! Getting to create and collab with other like minded lady bosses is amazing. I think it's what keep us going!! Its really cool to see the similar but quite different industries merge like the Beauty and Food/ Wine industry. It all makes sense, its about women celebrating life and doing what they love to feel and look good!! I like that Helen makes the learning about wine fun and non-conformist or stuffy. We try to do the same with beauty!
Tell us a little about the VIP Night event! What were some of your favorite moments?
Celebrating the holidays early and sharing an array of amazing local artists and vendors with our clients, friends and family. And OBVI: Drinking and serving Helen’s wine in those chic double branded cups!
As sisters, how do you balance your personal and business relationships with each other? How do you handle disagreements?
Sister therapy helps when we can go but the biggest challenge is to tease out and compartmentalize "sister stuff” from the business. It’s super tough because we see things very differently but this is probably why collectively we make such an impact and have been so successful!
As a family, do you have any particular favorite holiday traditions?
Growing up we would always collect ornaments and this would make tree decorating particularly fun -- seeing the ornaments from years past and reminiscing. We also grew up near the mountains and would take advantage of the snow every Thanksgiving and Christmas by spending the day skiing or snowboarding.
Do you have any goals for Striiike within the next five years?
I’d love to see STRIIIKE become a real and trusted beauty brand celebrating our unique approach to beauty with a collection of products!
