Prime Cut: Family Style
by Michelle Troutman

Prime Cut owner and stylist Claire Ocando doesn't have a business degree, but she does have a business pedigree.

Claire's father, Lionel Giguere, owned Giguere's Market on Ticonic Street. Gerard Giguere, an uncle of Claire's, bought a controlling-stake in Ware-Butler in 1952, and it has been in the family ever since. David Mathieu, founder of Mathieu's Auto Body, married one of Claire's aunts, Yvonne, and the business continues on through his grandson, Jim.

Claire's sister and brothers also own businesses. Charlie Giguere owns Champions Fitness Club, and Elm City Photo is owned by Celine Giguere Goodine, and her husband, John. Ron and Marc Giguere are financial specialists who seek out lenders for large businesses. Maurice Giguere is a part-time consultant in business development, and markets computer software to federal, state, and local government agencies.

While growing up, Ocando had maintained an interest in hair styling, however, she didn't pursue it until her sons were older. Given the strength of her family connections to various businesses, it's not surprising that some of her relatives have also been barbers and hair stylists.

Another uncle of Claire's, Joseph Giguere, ran Giguere's Barber and Beauty Shop on Main Street for over 40 years until he retired in 1973. He employed his sister, Yvette, who also went on to run her own beauty parlor. Her husband, Louis Vigue, opened Louie's Barber Shop on Common St. after WWII. He went on to employ his brother Leo Paul, of Paul's Barber Shop, first on Temple St. and later on upper Main St. Ocando also has a cousin who owns a salon in Bangor.

Claire started styling at Prime Cut right after graduating from the Maine State Academy of Hair Design; at the time, the salon was located under where Day's Jewelry is now. After an expansion six years later, it moved to the current location. Ocando has worked at the salon since it opened in 1989, and is the third owner, having owned it for six years.

"Prime Cut was a good place to start out. It was a comfortable place to work, especially coming out of school," says Ocando. "When I was working for the original owner, I never had the desire to own my own [business]. But, as time went on, this is the particular salon that I wanted to own."

She enjoys the social atmosphere of the business, having worked in customer service in the family grocery store while growing up, and at Ames. "For someone who was extremely shy, I've come a long way."

When Ocando was going to school in the '70s, the then popular girl's hairstyle was parted down the middle and straight. She experimented with ways to straighten her curls. "When it was super wet, I would wrap my hair in rags to try and keep it straight, so I have experience with naturally curly hair, for sure," Ocando says, laughing.

"I find that having it myself, I can try the products out on my own hair to see how well they work, and that way, I can recommend the correct products."

To tame frizz, Ocando uses a rusk oil that helps calm the frizz down on the cuticle, and follows that with a "curls rock" amplifier to smoothen the cuticles.

Ocando finds the most popular men's style for her clientele is The Fade, clippered on the sides with a scissor cut on top.

"Hairstyles come back around all the time, similar versions of old styles," says Ocando. "And, to younger people, they are new, but if you've been around long enough, it's like, 'Oh, that's not new. It's a new old one.'"

Ocando believes what sets Prime Cut apart from other salons is the size, the personalities of the stylists who work there, and the casual, yet professional atmosphere. "We've never been a salon that's tried to put on airs."

Including Ocando, there are five stylists, and two nail technicians offering manicures, pedicures, and acrylic nails. New additions to the team and services offered this August is massage therapist Laura Holt and stylist Katie Hoskins. The salon also has a tanning bed.

"We do wedding and prom updos, also makeup. Everyone here is able to access the salon to accommodate their clients. If there's a wedding party or work schedule that falls outside normal salon hours, stylists are able to accommodate their clients, even if we're not officially open."

Summertime is their busiest time of the year. "Our snowbirds come back to the area, along with camp counselors that work for our many summer camps. Colby College offers several courses for doctors, and that brings new faces to the downtown."

Among community involvement, Prime Cut takes part in a giving tree for Family Violence every Christmas, and has done raffles of baskets of products and services for the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter.

Outside of work, Claire and her fiancé, photographer Michael Laura of Michael James Photography, share a love of the camera. Both have taken many of the pictures that accompany this article.

Some of Michael's wedding photos are on display in an area Claire set-up for wedding services, that way clients passing through can gather information.

She has two grown sons, having been a single parent by the time they were five and nine, when she went to beauty school. Her oldest son, Michael, 32, recently married, is a mechanical engineer in Texas. Her youngest son, Nicholas, 28, is a chef in Vieques, Puerto Rico.

Prime Cut at 33 East Concourse, hours vary depending on the day, anywhere from 9am to 6pm, Monday through Saturday: 207-877-7995.

Background information about the Giguere genealogy came from "The Henri and Rose Anna Giguere Family of Waterville, Maine" by grandson Stephen Sedgeley.

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