The Up-and-Comers: The Best of Affordable Hair Stylists

In the theater world, stars rise off-off Broadway; in sports, the minors. But in the beauty world, there is no official minor-league training ground. Rising stars are mentored right in some of Seattle’s top salons. Our favorite up-and-coming stylists are top-notch talent, but they don’t have the long waiting lists of their mentors. And they all charge under $50 for a cut, so you can hold on to your two cents—or throw them in the polarizing debate among hair lovers over Victoria Beckham’s inverted bob. Over it? Or still diggin’ it?

 

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Eric Nguyen
Gene Juarez Northgate
(Northgate) 401 Northgate Way; 206.365.6000; genejuarez.com
PRICE: Cuts, $40; updos, $80
EXPERTISE: Special-occasion hair that’s more creative then just pinned-up curls
TREND THAT MUST END: “Victoria Beckham’s inverted bob.”
LOOK I FORSEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE: “Shorter hair gives women a bit of an edge.”
IF YOU GIVE ME FREE REIN, I’LL: “Give you a cut based on how much work you’re willing to do at home.”
WHEN I’M NOT DOING HAIR: “I draw, paint, dance; I enjoy all aspects of art.”

 

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Jason Ledingham
MargiDavid
(Eastlake) 2723 Eastlake Ave. E; 206.328.2052; margidavid.com
PRICES: Cut, $35; allover color, $65; partial foil, $86; full foil, $126
EXPERTISE: Long layers; graduated bobs; men’s cuts
CELEB HAIR I LOVE: “Victoria Beckham’s graduated bob and Jennifer Aniston as an overall style icon.”
TREND THAT MUST END: “The classic bob is boring and blah. So are one-length cuts and straight-across bangs.”
LOOK I FORSEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE: “Asymmetrical cuts; funky, but not in the punk sense—something that gives interest around the face. I’m doing a lot of point cutting, where instead of cutting across in a straight line, you cut up into the hair at an angle for more texture.”
IF YOU GIVE ME FREE REIN, I’LL: “Give you a graduated bob. It’s popular and it’s a good option for a lot of people. Or short, round layers, kind of like a pixie cut, but a little bit more textured.”
WHEN I’M NOT DOING HAIR: “I’m into snowboarding and I’m a social butterfly.”

 

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Johnathan James
Halo
(Downtown) 1919 Third Ave.; 206.256.0715; halosalon.com
PRICES: Cut, $45; allover color, $60; foils, $80 and up
EXPERTISE: Blond highlights and extensions
CELEB HAIR I LOVE: “Jennifer Aniston. She’s the girl next door: cute, disheveled, subtly sexy. I like long layers. Giselle Bündchen has the best hair, too.”
TREND THAT MUST END: “Extensions on short hair—like Britney Spears!”
LOOK I FORSEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE: “Layers getting longer and more subtle.”
IF YOU GIVE ME FREE REIN, I’LL: “Probably lighten your hair; it’s that instant change to brighten up your face.”

 

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Kate Moore
Aria Salon
(Capitol Hill) 1103 E Pike St.; 206.568.3545; ariasalon.com
PRICES: Men’s cut, $45; women’s cut, $50; allover color, $65 and up; partial foil, $75 and up; full foil, $120 and up
EXPERTISE: Texturized cuts on the trendy side of modern, colors you don’t see every day
CELEB HAIR I LOVE: “Gwen Stefani because she changes up her look; Cate Blanchett’s tousled, texturized beachy look; Mila Jovovich’s super-blunt bangs.”  
TREND THAT MUST END: “Victoria Beckham’s haircut!”
LOOK I FORSEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE: “Twenties finger waves are making a comeback and cuts are also getting more asymmetrical, chunky and geometric.”
IF YOU GIVE ME FREE REIN, I’LL: “Take a lot of weight out of the crown to give you volume, with a full bang and lots of layers.”
WHEN I’M NOT DOING HAIR: “I sing in a rock band—the Valkyries. I’m also a freelance writer and I love to hike.”

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Jenna McClure
Suede
(Ravenna) 1029 NE 65th St.; 206.522.5245; salonsuede.com
PRICES: Cut, $40; allover color, $65; partial foil, $85; full foil, $110
EXPERTISE: “I enjoy doing drastic changes in color – bold and/or natural.”
CELEB HAIR I LOVE: “Drew Barrymore. She’s a style icon.”
TREND THAT MUST END: “The soccer mom bob.”
IF YOU GIVE ME FREE REIN: “I’ll suggest something different than what you have; I like to switch it up.”
WHEN I’M NOT DOING HAIR: “I like to kickbox.”

 

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Sarah Reilly
Lisa Power Salon
(Queen Anne) 536 Fifth Ave. W; 206.216.2900; lisapowersalon.com
PRICE RANGE: Cut, $50; allover color, $60; foil, $120
EXPERTISE: Enhancing the shade of natural redheads and taking nonnaturals to the perfect red hue
CELEB HAIR I LOVE: “Victoria Beckham’s graduated bob.”
TREND THAT MUST END: “Shorter in the front, longer in the back.”
LOOK I FORSEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE: “Less mullets! More of a classic ’60s look with short bobs and shorter cuts in general.”
WHEN I’M NOT DOING HAIR: “I cook and travel.”

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Roxana Johnson
Vain
(Belltown) 2018 First Ave.; 206.441.3441; vain.com
(Ballard) 5401 Ballard Ave. NW; 206.706.2707
PRICE RANGE: Cut, $35; color, $50 and up; highlights, $65 and up
EXPERTISE: Color of all kinds, working with fine and long hair.
CELEB HAIR I LOVE: “Eva Mendes’ bombshell hair. She has the right tone to complement her skin; it shows that there’s a shade of blonde for everybody.”
LOOK I FORSEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE: “Embracing natural texture. People are tired of flattening it super, super straight.”
IF YOU GIVE ME FREE REIN: “I’ll suggest bangs. I hope bangs never go away! A swoopy side bang can work on anyone.”
WHEN I’M NOT DOING HAIR: “My passion is cooking. I want to go to cooking school someday.”

 

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Stacy Thomas
Habitude
(Ballard) 2801 NW Market St.; 206.782.2898; habitude.com
PRICE RANGE: Cut, $49; color, $49 and up
EXPERTISE: Updos
CELEB HAIR I LOVE: “Jennifer Lopez’s hair, because it’s long, sleek, and can style wavy or straight.”
TREND THAT MUST END: “Fashion mullet!”
LOOK I FORSEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE: “Swoopy bangs.”
IF YOU GIVE ME FREE REIN, I’LL: “My impulse would be to give you a style based on your lifestyle, face shape and eye color.”

 

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Kelly White
Quint Eby
(Belltown) 2518 Second Ave.; 206.441.2722; quintebysalon.com
PRICES: Cut, $45 and up; color, $50 and up; highlights, $70 and up
EXPERTISE: Creative cuts and color
CELEB HAIR I LOVE: “Japanese cartoon characters! I like hairstyles and color that’s a little bit wacky looking.”
TREND THAT MUST END: “Faux hawk! Faux anything; if you’re gonna do it, do it!”
IF YOU GIVE ME FREE REIN, I’LL: “Make a drastic change to both your cut and color; I recently took a blond into brunette and she looked fantastic.”
WHEN I’M NOT DOING HAIR: “I ride my bike to work—the helmet is definitely a factor in my style!”