About Me

Michael Stark Atelier

A space where time slows down, and hair is treated with intention.

Michael Stark

My journey into hairdressing has been shaped by commitment, a slightly stubborn ambition, a genuine love for service, and a deep appreciation for working with people.

I’m originally from Poland, where twenty years ago saying “I want to be a hairdresser” as a young man was almost unthinkable. It wasn’t considered a serious career, and certainly not one for men. My family didn’t even know if I would be allowed to enrol in a hairdressing school. I remember having to fight for it, but once I knew this was my path, I didn’t let go.

At 19, I moved to the United Kingdom and enrolled in a hairdressing school, where I was one of only three men in my class. The UK felt more open, and at that time I was fully focused on proving that I could succeed without being judged.

During my first year, my tutor arranged an internship for me in a very luxurious salon. That experience changed everything. I discovered how powerful a truly great salon experience can be and was introduced to the world of L’Oréal. I owe them a great deal, and it is a true honour to be a brand ambassador years later. Those early years shaped my confidence, my technical foundation, and my belief in education as a lifelong process.

At 21, I opened my first salon. It was a bold and slightly crazy decision, but I wanted to work with clients in my own way. I sold my car and followed my ambition.

Building that salon taught me far more than hair. I learned how to attract and retain clients, how to listen, and how to create trust. I became deeply dedicated to service, and even today, money is not my priority. Client satisfaction always comes first.

While I love hair, what truly drives me is working with people. Hair is simply the medium. Transformation, confidence, and wellbeing are the real outcomes.

Over time, I felt the need for more. After years of running a small but beautiful salon with incredibly loyal clients, and after training my entire team in the UK, I became increasingly drawn to education. Seeing the limitations of traditional hair education and client communication eventually led me to Singapore.

I sold my salon in England and moved there to work with a L’Oréal distributor. It was intense, challenging, and completely different from anything I had known. I had to adapt my techniques, my communication, and my approach to an entirely new clientele, and I learned an enormous amount.

Not long after, I found myself in Barcelona. I had no intention of opening another salon. I was tired and simply wanted to do something different. But organically, through my approach to service and experience, clients began to find me.

I started with a private studio, an atelier, where I could work without pressure and on my own terms. I focused on excellent service and complete transformations, choosing not to offer shortcuts. Over time, the atelier grew, and with it, my inspiration and love for having my own salon returned.

Today, I often tell my family, “This is it, I need nothing more,” yet creating and evolving remain constants I can’t deny. I feel grateful and incredibly lucky to do what I love, for over fifteen years now, here in Barcelona, with the most wonderful team and clients.