For our Healing Hands series, we sit down with people whose craft is shaped by care, ritual, and the work of their hands.
This week, we spoke with celebrity hairstylist and Hudson local Annie Montgomery, whose thoughtful approach to beauty after 15 years in NYC and working at top salon Marie Robinson blends artistry, intention, and a deep belief that what you put on your hair matters just as much as what you put on your skin.
What’s the most important thing your hands have ever made?
My hands have made so many things over my lifetime. Recently, though, the most important has been my salon on Warren Street in Hudson, New York, Annie Montgomery. Throughout the process, I drove my contractor crazy. I really pride myself on being "handy." I’ve transformed numerous Brooklyn apartments from depressing spaces into little artist havens. I cosmetically flipped my old Hudson Valley Victorian completely by myself, one tile at a time.
I would come to the salon super early in the morning and stay late at night, following behind my contractor caulking holes, sanding corners, screwing on doorknobs, and painting walls. I would sit late at night, alone, with paper over the windows, daydreaming of what my salon would be like, the life it would breathe every day as a business. Someone once told me that having a business is like having a baby. With two daughters at home, naturally, I thought this was ridiculous. But it truly was, as it turns out, like having a newborn. I didn’t know who the salon was yet or who she’d grow up to be, but all those late nights and early mornings paralleled the newborn stages.
Now the salon is growing up, filled with happy chatter, beauty, artists, and all the warmth I had always imagined.
What’s one thing you’d let go of if you could?
In my craft? The rules. In hair and in art, you only learn the rules so you can break them.
What’s your point?
When opening Annie Montgomery, I wanted to get back to my roots. I spent fifteen years in New York, moving through so many different stages of work. Artistry turned into being a therapist, which turned into an obsession with financial success. I got to the top of the industry at the best salon in NYC, Marie Robinson. I worked on numerous celebrities and an endless list of high-end clientele.
But as soon as I had “made it,” I wanted to throw it all away and return to my original mission: to work with artists, on artists, and in an inclusive space while always maintaining an elevated, luxury environment. Hudson has always been that artistic place for me. It’s been grounding, inspiring, and deeply fulfilling.
What’s the tool you cannot live without?
I would say my ability to daydream. When I can see something clearly in my mind, visualize it, smell it, feel it, that’s when I know it’s going to exist in my life. Call it manifestation or a spidey sense, but I can bring what’s in my mind into reality.
Since art school and even before, it’s always been my most trusted tool. There’s a beautiful moment when you’re skilled enough to take that image inside your mind and execute it on paper, or for your client in the chair. This visualization has also carried me through monumental opportunities, helped me create a home, a business, and my two beautiful children.
I guess that’s what it means to truly be a visual person. It’s both mental and physical, a gift and my most powerful tool.
What’s a ritual that helps keep you grounded?
Every night, before bed, I meditate with my daughter. Sometimes with a busy schedule it’s hard to unplug, but when we do this together, I’ll listen to her breathing and remind myself that each one of those breaths will only be that size for so long.
It helps my mind calm down and stay present. Time moves so quickly, and sometimes we just need to slow down and stay grateful.
How has the relationship with your hands changed over time?
They used to be an extension of myself, something I pushed every day to practice and refine my fine motor skills. Now, however, they work almost entirely on their own. It’s second nature, muscle memory.
Sometimes I look down at them after work and feel proud and grateful that they are mine.
What do you hope your work passes on to others?
I hope that my work helps people better understand themselves. What I do isn’t just about vanity. It’s about finding a look that represents who you are on the inside and bringing it to life on the outside.
It can be a deeply moving experience when you make someone feel exactly who they are through their hair. It creates a remarkable sense of closeness. Ultimately, that’s what the work is about: making the client feel seen for who they really are.
"I think your like really pretty" - Annie Montgomery
Book an appointment here - https://www.anniemontgomerysalon.com/