As co-founder of Lunatic Fringe Salon, a luxury hair brand she built alongside her husband and business partner, Shawn Trujillo, Angie Katsanevas has spent nearly three decades building a career in the beauty industry—long before the reality-television cameras started rolling. Currently operating nine locations across three states, the salon partners directly with Kérastase, and Katsanevas is also a Paul Mitchell franchise owner, giving her a hand in both an independent luxury brand and a major global franchise system.
Now in her fifth season on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Katsanevas says this chapter has felt different—and she’s ready to talk about why. Ahead, she talks about balancing motherhood with running a growing business, how her Greek heritage shapes her approach to hospitality and style and where she wants to take the Lunatic Fringe brand—and her own name—in the next five years.
Season 7 finds you in the middle of some real personal growth and finding your voice. What’s different about how you’re showing up for yourself this season compared to your first four seasons on RHOSLC?
“I’m just a lot more unfiltered and more confident. I know my place in the group now. I have stronger bonds with the women. I feel more supported. I have real friendships in the group, which makes it easy to show up authentically.”
Being a mom while running a growing salon franchise and filming a reality show is a lot on the schedule. What does your day look like, and what’s one thing about motherhood that’s changed how you run your business?
“I wake up at 6:30 a.m. every day and hit the ground running. I always start with a collagen and protein drink, and hydrate really well—which is super important for my skin—before heading to the gym. I’m a very routine-oriented person—I do the same things every day to stay healthy, including the same breakfast: eggs, avocado and berries. You can count on me ordering that even at a restaurant. My diet is very important to me.
Then, I get Elektra off to school. After drop-off, I come home and dive into my to-do list, which I keep on my kitchen table and have it divided into ‘have-to-dos’ and ‘nice-to-dos.’ I try to chip away at as many of my ‘have-to-dos’ as I can. There’s actually something really satisfying about checking boxes—studies show it releases endorphins—so I have to check things off my list every day.
After that, I head to the salon, where there’s always a lot of hustle and bustle. I’m working, engaging with people and connecting with the team and guests. There are also always people reaching out, so I try to stay open to opportunities outside of the business—brand deals, partnerships, collaborations, interviews; I do a lot of networking and connecting with people.
Once school lets out, Elektra has horseback-riding lessons about six days a week. Then we eat dinner at home pretty much every night. I usually make fish—probably five nights a week—with a Greek salad or another salad. It’s a really simple, healthy dinner. Then, of course, there’s homework.
I’m also very particular about taking good care of Elektra’s clothes, so I do laundry and steam everything. I’m a very clean and organized person, and in order for me to function the way I do, I need a healthy, home-cooked meal and a clean, organized home. I have a cleaning person, but there’s still a lot to do to keep the house running.
We do a walk with our dogs every night, then our skin-care routine—Elektra and I get into our SKIMS pajamas, do our skin care and go to bed.
Family is everything for me. It’s really at the center of my life because before I had my daughter, all I did was work. I started working when I was 15, so I was raised to just work.
Having Elektra at age 37 completely changed my perspective. I now have a much better understanding of the people on our team who have children at home and need to balance work and family—sometimes they need to leave early or start later. Becoming a mother helped me realize how I can better support the parents who work at our salon so they can have a thriving career while still being present for their families. I didn’t really understand balance before Elektra.
I want the mothers and fathers on our team to have that balance—to have longevity, enjoy their lives and not work themselves away.”
You’ve talked about your Greek heritage as part of what shaped your bold personality and style. How does that background show up in your day-to-day, as well as your beauty rituals?
“Greeks are very hospitable people. You never meet a stranger. When I work with people, they feel like my family. When they walk into my business, our guests know me because I connect with them as if I were welcoming them into my home. I always offer a coffee or water or snack, and I’ll always make that personal connection with eye contact and attention. That’s really what’s strengthened the culture of Lunatic Fringe. I treat everyone like family, and I think I have that same connection with my team and guests.
My grandfather would always say: ‘Your reputation is all you have.’ Having a great reputation in business—being honest, having integrity and caring about your people like family—has been a huge part of my success, and something I was taught early on. Greeks are hardworking people, and I bring that work ethic everywhere I go, taking pride in everything I do.
Growing up Greek, we went to church on Sundays and always had events to attend within our community. We were taught to take pride in our appearance and manners. My daughter fought me on wearing dresses when she was little, and I had to teach her that there’s a time and a place for everything—we’d have special shoes and dresses just for church. I think when you’re raised by immigrants, there’s a lot of pride there, so we were really taught to take pride in how we presented ourselves and how we looked.”
Your personal style is glamorous and unapologetic. How would you describe your style philosophy right now, and has it evolved since you first joined the franchise?
“Yes! Being in the beauty industry, we have a dress code in our salon, and it’s black. But on the show, I can go as big as I want. I’ve always loved fashion, and I’ve always loved to take risks. We get to go to a lot of fun events with themes, so you really get to express yourself through fashion—whether it’s a themed event or just any event you show up to with the women.
Being Greek, I went to a lot of amazing events growing up—weddings and things like that—so I got to dress up a lot. Fashion has always been how I’ve expressed myself; I was into it from an early age. I always had the most cutting-edge haircut, or platform shoes before anyone else had them, so I felt like a trendsetter—I was never afraid to do something first. Now it’s fun being around women who love fashion as much as I do. You can push the limits and go all out, and that’s a lot of fun.”
You’re constantly around the best in hair care. What’s one product that you’re genuinely obsessed with?
“I absolutely love Kérastase’s Mousse Bouffante ($42). It’s my go-to—I’ve been using it for 30 years because it gives you volume and hold, while still letting your hair move and stay soft. Fuller hair is coming back right now, and this creates shine, volume and hold without sacrificing movement. It’s clearly the best.”
You started Lunatic Fringe from the ground up and have grown it into a franchise while also being a full-time television personality. What does ‘life beyond Housewives’ look like for you long-term, and where do you want the business—and your own name—to be in five years?
“I want Lunatic Fringe to continue to grow and expand and really become a household name. We currently have nine locations in three states, and I’d love to see the brand continue to grow nationwide and be known for the super-premium, luxury salon experience it is. We’ve received national recognition, including the Masters in Business award from the North American Hairstyling Awards in 2010, but I want to keep building on that and make Lunatic Fringe known as cutting-edge, world-class and one of the best salons in the world. Ultimately, I’d love to see it scale nationwide and continue to evolve the Angie K brand in beauty.
I’d also love to share my recipes for Greek food with the world! A dream of mine is to write a cookbook…maybe Secret Recipes of a Real Greek Housewife? I’d want it to be more than just a collection of recipes. I’d like to tell the story of my family and our history through food. My dream would be to travel to Greece, visit relatives and small villages and feature traditional recipes alongside their stories. It wouldn’t just be my recipes—it would include family recipes, highlighting the traditions and stories behind them, and celebrate the incredible food, people and culture I’ve come to love throughout my life.
Beyond that, I’m open to whatever life has in store for me! I’m entering a new phase, and I can feel I’m in a new state of becoming, so I’m excited to see what comes next.”
