Karen Lambert Off is celebrating 43 years in a hairdressing business that is deeply connected to the growth and history of Mesquite, Nevada, where she is a small business pioneer.

Lambert opened Hair Patterns, the first salon in Mesquite, on May 13, 1983. She was 19 years old. At that time, the population of Mesquite was around 900. Today, the population is reaching 25,000.

Her first salon was located on the corner of Grapevine Road and Mesquite Boulevard, in a building she rented from Brian and Dawn Hafen. In those early days, Grapevine Road was still dirt, and customers parked in the gravel beside the building.

Lambert said, “One of my most meaningful relationships in my career was with Dawn Hafen. I have styled her hair every week for 43 years, until she passed in 2025.”

Lambert spent 22 years at Hair Patterns in Sun Valley Plaza before selling the business when her family grew from three children to a blended family of six after her second marriage. She then spent 10 memorable years at Highland Manor in a one-chair salon. Lambert told the Progress, “I especially enjoyed serving the elderly clients and listening to their life stories.”

Following COVID, Lambert and her daughter, Danielle Serna, partnered up and opened the full-service Fringe Salon at 786 W. Pioneer Blvd. in Mesquite. Fringe has been voted Mesquite’s number one salon, nail salon and customer service People’s Choice winner for five years in a row. They offer hair coloring, manicures, pedicures, facials, hand-painted nail art, permanent makeup and lash services. The shop is a favorite stop for men’s haircuts, too.

Lambert recently partnered with Cory Bundy and opened Fringe Suites, located within the same building. There are 10 business suites rented out to local small businesses in addition to tanning beds and red-light therapy chambers.  

Through the years, Lambert has been deeply involved in the community, contributing to local events and supporting local charities. She served on the board for the first Mesquite Chamber of Commerce, and she coordinated the very first Mesquite Days Parade after Mesquite’s incorporation in 1984.

“I have a good life in Mesquite. I have enjoyed my work and my friends; the salon staff is like family,” Lambert said. “I have watched the little town grow into a beautiful town and am happy to be part of it.”