about us

liana phillips

Senior Artistic Designer (Hair Stylist), Owner

Liana has distinguished herself as one of DC’S top stylists by creating tailored looks that compliment guest’s features with “lived in” shapes. Over the past decade, Liana has mastered the art of the straight razor, which produces a soft, flawless texture. She has accumulated many hours of education with industry leading companies such as: Bumble & Bumble, Toni & Guy, Oribe, Arrojo, and Vidal Sassoon. Through this, she has developed a loyal clientele who trust her to give them an impactful and individual style. Blunt, modern bobs, textured pixies, and satin finished blowouts are some of the looks you will find in her portfolio.

jen phillips

Senior Artistic Designer (Color Specialist), Owner

After years of advanced training in New York City, under the industry's best, Jen became one of DC's early pioneers in bringing refined balayage to our city. With over a decade of experience and continued education through Loreal Professional Academy, Arrojo, The Redken Exchange, Wella and KAO Academy, her approach to color is intentional, customized and always rooted in hair health. Her philosophy has always been less is more while she believes beautiful hair starts with the integrity of the hair. As one of the founders, Jen's passion lives just as much behind the scenes at Aurora as it does behind the chair. She created Aurora's signature color apprenticeship program and has personally trained every colorist on the floor. The effect of this has set a tone for excellence in skill and customer service. Jen believes great hair happens when people feel supported and connected- whether that's in the salon, traveling together for education or celebrating the wins along the journey.

thomas joseph

Senior Associate (Hair Stylist)

Thomas was born and raised in the DC Metropolitan area. After studying creative advertising in college, he recognized his passion in hair and beauty. His training and education began in 2016 with Paul Mitchell. From there, Thomas went on to begin a rigorous apprenticeship in one of DC’s top salons. The continued education Thomas received allowed him to perfect his craft in cutting and styling. He has learned razor cutting techniques from Nick Arrojo and curly cutting techniques from Mizani and @evanjosephcurls. His main focus is on creating soft, lived-in cuts that are easy to manage and accentuate your best features!

leigh rieley

Senior Artistic Designer (Hair Stylist)

Leigh began her career over a decade ago, after graduating from the Aveda Institute in DC. She quickly established herself as one of the city's most trusted and accomplished stylists. She has developed a signature approach rooted in professionalism and effortless wearability in her cuts. Leigh creates shapes that grow out beautifully and fit beautifully in the real world. Her real power lies in her long lasting blowouts and her undeniable talent for fringe. Leigh has a loyal clientele who swear by her work- and a semi-cult following on TikTok who can't get enough.  Whether a short cut or a long cut, Leigh has a calm confidence that ensures Aurora clients feeling polished, confident and totally obsessed with their hair.

lilly owen

Senior Associate (Color Specialist)

Lilly is a Senior Associate Colorist at Aurora, celebrated for creating effortlessly beautiful color that feels as natural as it is refined. A graduate of the Aveda Institute, she developed an early passion for dimensional blonding, customized foil work, and lived-in color that enhances rather than overpowers her clients’ natural features.

With a keen eye for tone and balance, Lilly specializes in creating bespoke color tailored to each guest’s complexion, lifestyle, and maintenance preferences. Her signature approach blends technical precision with an artistic touch, resulting in seamless, sophisticated color that grows out gracefully and remains beautiful between appointments.

Whether crafting bright, sunlit blondes, soft ribbons of dimension, or rich, glossy brunettes, Lilly’s goal is always the same: to create timeless, luxurious hair color that makes every guest feel effortlessly confident.

zoe divjak

Senior Associate (Hair Stylist)

Zoe is Paul Mitchell- trained stylist with a natural talent for the art of hairdressing.  Raised in a family of artists, her creative eye translates seamlessly into her styling, where precision cutting and design take top priority in her chair. She is well known at Aurora for her soft layering that creates subtle movement and shape that grows out beautifully. Zoe has built a reputation for herself for her blowouts- polished, voluminous, as they are undeniably runway inspired. Her signature approach to finishing the hair delivers a fashion show level of bounce, shine and refinement.

jazz athwal

Senior Associate (Color Specialist)

Jazz brings years of industry experience and a refined professional approach to every client he serves. A graduate of the esteemed Temple Academy by Paul Mitchell, he began his career in Tysons Corner, where he sharpened his technical skills and developed a deep understanding of professional hair care. His dedication and expertise led him to become an Ambassador for a major hair care line, expanding his wealth of product knowledge and reinforcing his commitment to maintaining beautiful healthy hair. Jazz is also a certified Goldwell colorist after receiving extensive training with the KAO Academy in New York. He particularly loves custom foil work and dimensional color. Jazz is always on the hunt for the next advanced education class he can attend.

becca dragan  

Associate (Color Specialist)

Becca is a highly trained colorist whose career was shaped In NYC's fast-paced and fashion forward salon culture. She graduated from the renowned Arrojo Academy, where she built a strong technical foundation in color theory. Her dedication and passion for hair color led her to the KAO Academy, where she earned her Master Colorist Certification with Goldwell- a huge achievement in the beauty industry. Certified in both hand-tied and keratin-bonded extensions, Becca has quickly become in demand at Aurora for all extension services, tailoring each detail to her client's lifestyle, goals and vision. Becca delivers an experience that is not only confidence boosting but beautifully executed behind the chair every time.

Kayla Smith

Associate (Hair Stylist)

A Washington, DC native, Kayla brings fresh creativity, refined technical training, and welcoming energy to every appointment. After completing Aurora’s intensive apprenticeship program, she developed a strong foundation in precision cutting, personalized styling, and creating effortlessly beautiful hair.

Known for her thoughtful consultations, Kayla takes the time to understand each guest’s goals, lifestyle, and routine to create a look that feels both flattering and easy to maintain. She loves everything from soft, face-framing layers to chic bobs and shorter cuts, tailoring each service to the individual sitting in her chair.

Clients are drawn to Kayla not only for her attention to detail, but for the experience she creates. Her sweet nature, genuine interest in people, and easy conversation make every appointment feel comfortable, relaxed, and fun. Paired with her extensive product knowledge and personalized recommendations, her clients leave feeling confident and excited for their next visit.