Steve Duross never set out to create a lifestyle company, but by making affordable, locally produced spa-brand products, that’s what his Midtown Village business, Duross and Langel, has become.

The skincare shop and upstairs salon, originally located on Locust Street, has been in the area for more than a decade, but the store has been in its current home at Sansom and 13th streets for three years.

“I had a one-chair men’s salon,” Duross recalls about the original location. “And it was all I could afford. $400 [in rent] was nothing, and I could run my business—it was great. I had tried opening [the store] in another iteration, right next door on Locust and it did well, but it was too much work for me to do both.”

You bet it smells gooooood inside. 

Eventually, the customer response was strong enough that Duross considered making a move.

“People loved what we were doing and what it was about, and 13th Street was at that point where it was no longer up-and-coming: It was actually happening. So we closed down the men’s salon and moved the store over here,” he recalls.

“We did really well for a long time, and then a couple of years ago, I cut a hole in the wall and re-constituted the salon. The business has been growing from where it was originally. It continues to get bigger. If you do what you do and do it well, it will naturally thrive. That’s what happens.”

Colorful soaps of every shape and scent fill the storm from top to bottom. 

Because of this deep history ingrained in both the street and the surrounding neighborhood, Duross has seen the community—both individuals and businesses—develop into something incredibly special.

“We were already part of the mix of Midtown Village before it was Midtown Village—moving to 13th Street was just one more thing,” Duross reflects. “We have thrived and seen the neighborhood flourish. Once El Vez moved onto the block, we hit critical mass.

“This block and its success doesn’t just belong to those who succeeded, but also those who didn’t quite make it. Because everybody is standing on the shoulders of everybody who’s gone before us. It’s been a collaborative effort. It’s really cool.”

“If you do what you do and do it well, it will naturally thrive. That’s what happens.”

Duross’s relationship to the area goes beyond owning a business—he’s also a 13th Street resident.

“I’ve been here [as a resident] for seven to eight years, and I have to say that I have a real relationship with the people,” Duross says. “I know all the people who work in the different restaurants and bars—not because I’m the guy who owns a store on 13th Street, but because I’m the guy who lives in the neighborhood. You start to see the same people, get to know their names. You start to know these people and you begin to have relationships with [them].”

We dare you not to take a million pictures in here. 

For Duross, the arrival of more people in the neighborhood thanks to residences like 1213 Walnut is a sign of even more good things to come.

“I have to say that as a business owner, there is an enormous amount of delight,” he says. “The tower blocked part of the sky, but it didn’t bother me because it meant that the neighborhood was growing. For every resident that comes into the neighborhood, we have to step it up, try a little harder, be cleaner.

“I’ve seen a huge curve in the neighborhood in the last seven to eight years. There are new residents moving in, and it just makes everything so much better.”

The view from Duross’s upstairs workspace is classic Midtown Village. 

Clearly, Duross can’t imagine living and working anywhere else.

“Where else can you live where there’s such a diversity of people? I love that as a business owner,” he says with a smile. “People ask me who comes into [the store], but there isn’t one type. That’s why I love it. Whether you want to come in and spend hundreds of dollars or four dollars, you’re all my customers.”

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