VAIN Blog

Victoria Thomas Gentry’s dahlia hair, 1999: “It was a color obsession that built up.”

Last month we challenged VAIN Blog readers to consider going cherry tree pink for Spring, and mentioned VAIN owner + styledriver Victoria Thomas Gentry’s onetime dahlia-inspired hair color. After locating a photo in the VAIN archives (they are so vast!), we asked VTG herself to share the dahlia hair story:

“I had the inspiration when one of my favorite clients brought me a dahlia from her garden. You don’t see a lot of dahlias on the east coast where I’m from and I had no idea there were such big varieties.”

“The biggest question I got was “so what do you call that color?” Pink just didn’t cut it as a description. Depending on the light and what I was wearing it could be cherry or coral or blush pink. I loved it!”

Grab your favorite flower and call VAIN for a free consultation with one of our hair color experts: 206.441.3441 (downtown) or 206.706.2707 (Ballard).

One of our nearest and dearest clients, Paige, recently left Seattle for some fancy job in New York. After years of seeing Carly and Jenny Slay, she was worried about finding another salon that felt like home sweet home.

Luckily former VAIN stylist Shaun Surething has created Seagull, our unofficial ’sister’ salon. Paige recently went for her first cut with Shaun to update her look to something a little less formal. Though we’re still waiting on ‘after’ photos, I love this shot mid-cut:

Please note the shoes: Hot Pink Nikes! Snakeskin Marc Jacobs! If this isn’t New York, it’s heaven.

Photo courtesy of yet another VAIN client, Andrea “Shiftercars” Chapman.

So I’m sitting here watching Entertainment Tonight, eating dip, and all of a sudden I see my haircut (or a slightly overdone version of it) in a segment called “Hollywood’s Top Hair Trends.” It’s on Katie, Rihanna and Renee, and it’s supposedly “causing a commotion” with its crazy short style. It’s called the Daring ‘Do, and I think it came in at #2 after headbands. Look out!

I don’t know about you, but I think a daring ‘do is going from full-length to fauxhawk, from platinum to jet black, hot pink for the hell of it, or that one time when I quit my job and all but two inches of my hair on the same day. Don’t get me wrong: my current cut looks great and it’s shorter than it’s been in a while, but it’s no brave leap into the hair unknown. But I’ll take the compliment, ET, and hope to see even stronger examples of adventuresome styles coming out of VAIN downtown and VAIN Ballard this Spring. Let’s show ‘em how daring a ‘do can be.

-Rebecca P.

Taken by our downtown front desk + photo champ My back in December… or was it earlier today?

Stylist: Bijou

Client: Caitlin

Full Disclosure [and nepotism alert]: She’s my sister!

Bijou has been cutting Caitlin’s hair for over a year now. Initially Bijou created perfect a posh bob - a gorgeous cut, but one that’s hard to maintain with a busy schedule. Since then, Bijou has helped her evolve into the cut pictured above; one that better suits her personality and one that requires half the styling commitment. Though Caitlin sees Bijou at VAIN’s Downtown location, she spent the day celebrating Ballard’s artwalk with a visit to neighboring boutique 20twenty.

Thank you, Bijou, for creating such a perfect look - and thanks to Caitlin for being so lovely and wonderful!

xo,

Sarah Jo

Melissa Witherwax: one of 400,000 and one in a million.

If you’ve been to VAIN then you’ve been in the presence of Melissa Witherwax, or Mel, as she’s known to our staff, stylists, and clients. Her compassion, her kindness, her sense of community and social awareness, her style and her great brightness of spirit are just a few of the things - not to mention her amazing laugh - that make her someone who you just want to be around. Mel is a true one-and-only.

So the news seemed that much harder to hear at VAIN when Mel let us know a few months ago that she had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. But she immediately took positive control of her situation by educating herself on the disease, getting proactive with her treatment, and even making us all feel a little better by asking if anyone wanted to join her for yoga or tai chi sessions in the park. Typical and wonderfully endearing.

Mel is one of 400,000 people in the United States affected by MS, and this weekend she’s walking to raise awareness and make a difference. This Sunday, April 13, Team Witherwax will hit the streets (ok, the Burke Gilman Trail) for Walk MS, and we hope you’ll be a part of it. Visit the Team Witherwax page to make a donation in any amount big or small, or to sign up online to walk. Last-minute walkers are welcome, too- day-of registration starts on Sunday at 8:30 a.m at Husky Stadium.

Whether you donate, walk, or just tell a friend about Walk MS this weekend, VAIN thanks you from the bottom of our hearts for taking action and making a positive impact. You’ll be helping thousands of people, among them someone who we couldn’t hold any more dear.

To learn more about Multiple Sclerosis and this Sunday’s Walk MS event, visit the National MS Society Walk MS Web site.

Every Saturday this Spring, VAIN resident makeup artist Christine Cherbonnier will be offering free private 30-minute makeup lessons at VAIN downtown (a $40 value!). Free makeup lessons are something VAIN offers every few months, but we’ve had so much demand lately that we decided to make it an every Saturday thing.

Free Saturday makeup lessons are by available appointment only, so call VAIN downtown at 206.441.3441 to book yours.

These lessons are designed to show you how to apply makeup and create new looks for yourself at home, and do not include wedding day or special event applications.

Check out all-new online bios of VAIN downtown apprentice stylists Aubrie and Valentine on VAIN.com. Aubrie cites 70s rock as a personal style inspiration, while Valentine is quickly becoming the fauxhawk champ of the 206 (”they’re not for your emo kid brother anymore.”).

Both Aubrie and Valentine have gone through extensive hair education and rigorous hands-on training to get client-ready (including, and we’re kidding here, a VAIN ropes course, a feats of strength challenge, and an exhausting round of “would you rather…”), and we’re excited to have their skills on the VAIN salon floor. They both bring a passion for hair and personal style to VAIN that’s great to have around. Visit our stylists page on VAIN.com to learn more about them and any of our other talented stylists.

Call VAIN downtown at 206.441.3441 to find out about Valentine and Aubrie’s $15 haircut specials or to book an appointment. VAIN apprentice stylists don’t really go through a ropes course, but they tell us training can feel a little like beauty boot camp.

Citysearch.com has announced its winners for Best Street Cents (Seattle living on a budget) and VAIN is #1 on the audience vote list for Best Affordable Haircut! Thanks to all of our clients who voted.

And when you’re right, you’re right: VAIN offers the best haircut deal in Seattle with $15 haircut specials on select days, as well as a wide range of pricing on all of our hair services to keep things affordable. So thanks again, Seattle, and we’ll see you at the salon.

xo,
VAIN

Whether you’re a new or returning client, you can always switch things up at VAIN to meet your style + budget needs. Call VAIN downtown at 206.441.3441 or VAIN Ballard at 206.706.2707 to find out more.

We all know how I feel about crimped hair. Ain’t no mountain high enough. VAIN staff and stylists know it best, which is why I almost wept with joy to see downtown stylist Janae cutting hair en plein crimp (translation: in full crimp) the other day. Look at the color! Look at the style! Look at the rows and rows of glorious little crimps filling my heart with joy and the salon with hope for the crimpless! (You think I am exaggerating here. I assure you I am not.)

In related and even more exciting news, VAIN now carries a crimping iron. No YOU shut up! It’s a delightful 3-plate combo- crimp plate, wave plate, and straightener plate for $24.95. So great. Come on down to VAIN and check it out. It’s time to get your crimp on.

Back to reading this month’s issue of Crimp Fancy. Happy crimping!

-Rebecca P.

Miss Idaho gets her extensions done by Kelly at VAIN: before and after.

No April fooling: a Miss USA 2008 contestant flew to Seattle last week to get her hair done at VAIN for the big pageant. VAIN stylists are well-versed in special occasion hair, working with everyone from brides and grooms on their big days to our prom clients, but this might be the first national beauty pageant contestant to check out VAIN’s hair services.

Her name is Tracey Brown and she’s Miss Idaho USA (check out her page on the Miss USA site). She’s a full-time student and breast cancer awareness advocate, and she heard about VAIN dowtown stylist Kelly’s extensions skills from her sister who lives in Seattle. Kelly did a whole head of braided extensions on Tracey to add length, dyeing the extensions to match Tracey’s hair color. The result is a perfectly color-matched head of wavy, natural-looking, lustrous hair with that we think any crown would look hot on.

Tracey Brown competes in the Miss USA pageant on April 11. To schedule a free extensions consultation with Kelly or any of VAIN’s other extensions pros, call VAIN downtown at 206.441.3441 or VAIN Ballard at 206.706.2707.