Vasuda truly was a salon that catered to EVERY texture of curly hair and one of the few places in the city where black women of all textures could go and get their hair done. It was one of my first experiences going to a salon with a diverse staff and knowing each person was trained in how to care for natural hair. It felt great.
As the years passed, I stopped going to Vasuda after my stylist left to open her own salon (with a few other former Vasuda employees) and then realized how poorly they'd been treated as employees of Vasuda. It truly saddened me to hear the crazy stories (most involved Jessica, co-owner and wife of the other founder/co-owner Emmett).
I do want to say that my personal experiences as a customer at Vasuda were ALWAYS professional from all of the staff, but as I formed friendships with the stylists, it rubbed me the wrong way to see business being handled in such a negative way. After that, I stopped referring people to Vasuda Salon and instead of shitting on their reputation, opted to just tell folks about other places they could go.
Once I learned about their location closing (they listed the reason as the bldg owner being unreasonable with their new lease), I decided I'd share the full story with everyone who may end up finding my various blog reviews on Vasuda through a google search on hair salons in Seattle.
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Even with them closing the doors on what used to be my favorite salon in Seattle, the silver lining is that 4 years after moving to Seattle, there are quite a few options for where to go and get your hair styled! Vasuda may have driven out the majority of their senior stylists, but their salon served as a great training ground for nurturing and cultivating talented stylists who have gone on to create their own businesses.
Trim Studio in Bellevue
https://www.trimbystudio.com/
Trim is the home of former Vasuda Stylists Izzy, Erica and Liv. They used to all have chairs on the window side of Vasuda and I affectionately referred to them as the "dream team". They were the "heart" of Vasuda and kept the energy light and fun in the salon. In their new salon space you can expect more of the same... with the added bonus of a parking garage! Izzy is my bae and will be re-joining the team after a brief hiatus, with a limited schedule on Sundays and Mondays. Izzy does all of my color and is someone I HIGHLY recommend.
Quatro Salon in University District
https://www.quatrosalonstudio.com/
If you were a fan of Celeste at Vasuda, you can continue to get your hair styled by her at her new studio in the UD! Celeste, along with a few other stylists, created Quatro Salon located in the University District/Ravenna. Although I never had my hair styled by her, she came recommended by a few girlfriends who go to her for regular styling needs.
ELLEtique in Downtown Seattle
Linda was one of the last Senior stylists to leave Vasuda and is located closer to central downtown on Terry/Stewart. If you were a fan of having that flexible downtown location, Linda may be the right person for you. Although Linda can hook up curly hair, I've found my friends with relaxed hair tend to prefer going to her.
Coven Salon in Montlake
http://www.covensalon.com/
When Izzy took a brief hiatus from hair styling, I needed a new salon that was closer to Cap Hill. I also was interested in getting curly hair cuts, often referred to as a "deva cut" after the DevaChan Salon. So far Alexis has cut my hair once and my 2nd appointment is in a few hours. I'll be doing a full post on my experiences at Coven and getting curly hair cuts on my natural hair! Wanted to get a few appointments under my belt before sending folks that way.
My first experience getting a curly haircut at Coven (by Alexis, co-owner):
