Stories from the Beauty Parlor
with Annamaria Olsson and Pamela Chomba
Each episode unfolds as an intimate portrait of a beauty parlor and the women* who work there. Through these stories, our listeners will gain insight into diverse cultures and customs, all centered around the universal theme of women* wanting to look and feel their best. As a space that is both private and communal, the beauty parlor provides a window into deeper topics, blending feel-good content with rich, insightful storytelling.
As our journey progresses, we will share narratives about complex, globally relevant issues, humanizing individuals from communities otherwise misrepresented by a single, oversimplified political narrative. Our goal is to bridge the gap between traditional beauty media and the activist sphere. With our “feel good, do good” approach, we are working to raise awareness of the issues explored in each episode, building a global community that champions women*’s stories.
Stories from the Beauty Parlor has received positive acclaim from Cee Cee and Refuge.
Latest
Episode 5: Live Podcast with Charissa Chioccarelli, founder of isla berlin
In this special live episode recorded at Podfest Berlin, we had the honor of learning from and with Charissa Chioccarelli, the founder of isla Berlin. Charissa’s company not only revolutionized nail art but crafted a space where women could build, create, and connect in an alternative atmosphere outside of patriarchal restraints, beautifying Berlin in every sense of the word. We discussed how to navigate motherhood and creativity, raising feminist sons, why therapy is the gold standard of leadership, taking the risk to be a small fish in a big pond, and the experiences of being a female founder building an international brand in an increasingly uninnovative German economy.
Episode 4: Ukraine – Beauty through missiles, displacement and queer resilience
In this special podcast episode we take you on a journey to Kyiv and Bucharest, exploring what commitment to beauty means when your country is at war. The young journalists Mariia Krychevska and Ina Constantin from Ukraine and Romania invite us into hair salons that also act as bomb shelters and queer home salons in exile where mohawks and colourful nails are a way of fighting for freedom while carving out identity and belonging. These are places where freedom and (self) expression are both creating normality in an abnormal situation and pushing gender boundaries. Places that say, "To hell with you, we're alive and we look good!"
Episode 3: Morocco – Hammam, ramadan... and divorce
Our Morocco episode takes us into the communal care world of hammams, a centuries old tradition. We explore topics like intergenerational care, female financial empowerment, Moroccan beauty secrets, and divorce. With insightful interviews from Meryem Naji and owner Fatima Zahra Faskhi of Rabat’s Hammam Marassa as well as Ghizlane el Aouni, our third episode proves that caring for the self is about more than solitary retreats and solo face-masks, but rather a complex effort to connect ourselves to the women* in our lives who make our sense of community stronger.
Episode 2: Georgia – drag shows, create beauty, protest, repeat
In this episode the team travels to Georgia, weaving local creatives’ narratives with the complex history of the country. We first meet Not-So-Virgin-Mari, one of Tbilisi’s drag artists, resisting the country’s escalating homophobia. In their classy, high-demand tattoo parlor, we then talk to Pito Seturi, an internationally known Georgian artist, who reflects on Russia’s interference in their democratic elections that gave power to the conservative Georgian Dream Party. As Tbilisi enters 115+ days of continuous protesting via art, activism, and a lot of mocking, we get a poignant picture of Georgia’s Soviet history, the authoritarian playbook, and how queer-led community organizing fights for power through beauty.
Episode 1: Kosovo – wedding rituals and nail therapy in Europe’s youngest country
In our debut episode, we visit Linda at Serpent Claws Salon in the Kosovo capital of Pristina, and Elvira at Beauty Line, located in a Bosnian village on the border of North Macedonia. In their respective salons, we learn more about the tension of and opportunities for advocating for change while retaining important cultural traditions. Our episode questions how migration plays a role in Kosovo, and what we can learn about being a woman* and becoming a wife through a 6-hour long make-up ritual.
Introducing the First Transatlantic Feminist Podcast
Why revolve a feminist podcast around beauty parlors? Wouldn’t that be counterproductive in a world already obsessed with women*’s appearances? We’re here to change your mind. Meet our co-hosts Annamaria Olsson (she/her) and Pamela Chomba (she/her), both award winning migrant-justice organizers (and beauty junkies) based in Berlin and Washington, DC, respectively, as they discuss the birth of Stories from the Beauty Parlor and their tactics to fight authoritarian governments with a feminist vision and lots of community care.
Season 1 Trailer
This is Stories from the Beauty Parlor, an intimate journey around the world, one beauty parlor at a time. Coming March 29, 2025.