Despite Opening His Salon at the Height of the Pandemic, Michael Nguyen Proves That Courage and Connection Can Pay Off

He loves to travel, just like I do, and we instantly bonded over that shared wanderlust. When we met for brunch at Bluestone Lane to chat about his story, it felt less like an interview and more like two friends catching up. He arrived in the softest green sweater—the exact shade of his matcha latte.

“You even match your drink,” I teased.

Somewhere between the conversations about far-off places and opening his own salon, Michael became a friend and my personal hairstylist. Writing about people I love is always my favorite kind of story—and Michael’s is one worth telling.

Born and raised in San Diego, Michael was the youngest of four children. He grew up in a tight-knit Vietnamese family that instilled in him early a sense of independence. “Being the youngest, you learn from everybody,” he says. “You naturally become a badass. You pick up on everyone’s mistakes and figure things out.”

When his parents separated and his mother became a single mom, she carried her heritage and hope like a torch. Sadly, she passed away 10 years ago from cancer.

“She sacrificed so much coming from Vietnam,” Michael shares. “Every day she reminded us, ‘Do good. Do better. Make it worth it for your parents.’ My grit and work ethic come from her. I just hope she’s proud.”

Michael speaks about how he sometimes felt like an only child—the baby of the family who spent a lot of time in his own creative world. “I was always into beauty, art, organizing things, creating,” he says. “I used to color-coordinate my bookshelf, then redo it. It just made me happy.”

At first he followed the expected path. “My mom wanted me to be a doctor,” he explains, laughing. “But deep down, I knew. I’ve always been a creative. When I got to cosmetology school, something clicked. I was obsessed—my foils had to be perfect, my tray organized just right. It gave me life.”

After cosmetology school, Michael landed at The Londoner salon, where his natural artistry took root. He was there for six years. “I loved my team; it was incredible,” he shares.

But something inside him longed for a more personal connection—something smaller, closer to the beach. When he started working in Manhattan Beach, he immediately felt at home.

“This was the Manhattan Beach I’d been missing,” he says. “It’s charming; it’s community. People know each other. I just loved it.”

What began as a commute from Orange County soon became a calling. “I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be a hairdresser, let alone own a salon,” he admits. “But timing and life pull you in the right direction.”

That pull led to Mikell Coiffure, the stunning sanctuary he designed himself on Highland Avenue. With soft Moroccan influences, creamy tones, textured walls and ocean views that feel like a meditation, his salon is more than a place for hair; it’s a space for connection.

“I wanted to curate something that felt like West Hollywood talent meets coastal Manhattan Beach,” Michael says. “Light and warm, never sterile. It had to have character, like a home.”

Michael signed his lease in January 2020—weeks before the world shut down. “I’d put everything into it. All my savings,” he says. “I didn’t have a business partner. I’m not business-savvy; I just know how to work.”

When the lockdown hit, fear set in. “I wasn’t making enough to pay rent. I was pacing back and forth at home, losing hair from stress.”

Still, Michael’s instinct to serve found a way. “I started doing what I called black-market hairdressing—dropping off color kits, going to clients’ homes, even turning my apartment into a two-chair salon. My friend came to do brows. People started coming—it was wild. But somehow, it worked.”

When Mikell Coiffure finally opened that September, it was surreal. “It was the best day of my life, but also weird,” he says. “I couldn’t even smile at people through my mask. But all we wanted to do was work and do what we love.”

Unlike most salon owners, Michael opened without an established team. “People usually bring half their stylists from their old salon,” he says. “But I didn’t have that. It was just me, Blair and Stephanie.”

Then something beautiful happened. “COVID actually helped,” he says. “People were unhappy where they were, and it gave them a reason to leave. That’s how my team came together—through timing and word of mouth. Now we’re a family.”

Today Mikell Coiffure hums with the quiet rhythm of trust—stylists working side by side, ocean light streaming through the windows, laughter echoing from room to room. “There’s no handbook for owning a salon,” he reflects. “You learn, you adapt, you grow with your team, and you hope you create something they’ll always remember.”

While building his business, Michael was also building his life. “The salon gave me stability. I worked so hard that I finally felt ready to meet someone,” he says of Brian, his soon-to-be husband. “We met, moved in after five months, got engaged the next year and bought a home in Rancho Palos Verdes.”

The home—recently remodeled with designer Lauren Meichtry of Elsie Home—is a reflection of everything Michael loves: beauty, warmth and intention. “It’s our sanctuary,” he says. “It’s stunning, but more than that, it’s ours. The next step is the wedding and surrogacy. We’re ready to build our family.”

He pauses, eyes shining. “I grew up watching my mom raise four kids on her own after coming to this country with nothing. I thought I’d live in an apartment forever. To have a partner, a business, a home—it feels like the American dream.”