The guru behind Seattle’s newest boutique hair salon Adele clues us in on the hottest looks for the year.
Don’t expect Amy Quackenbush to dish up a cut-of-the-moment style at Adele, her freshly opened boutique hair salon in Fremont — it’s just not how she works.
Photos: BeautyRiot.com
“One of my favorite things about hair nowadays is that truly anything goes,” says Quackenbush. “It’s your attitude and personality that makes the cut.”
Born and raised in Seattle, the veteran stylist and colorist (and regular Allure Magazine favorite) swears that a cut and color that’s true to the customer’s style looks better than any ahead-of-the-curve style (see: the ubiquitous Pob of 2008).
The beauty behind Adele Salon, Amy Quackenbush.
Nonetheless, she wasn’t short on ideas for clients ready to try out Adele Salon. Flinging its doors open for business on February 1st, the newest addition to an under-the-radar slew of high-end boutique hair meccas in the Seattle area is a far cry from the low-key chop shops to which you’ve grown accustomed. Whether you’re seeking a luxe touch-up on your go-to look or a completely hair overhaul, Adele’s forward-thinking stylists and colorists are equipped to work with your style, time constraints, and texture to make you look (and feel) downright divine.
If you’re seeking a shakeup, Quackenbush suggests some go-to looks that are hot for the new year:
“The Michelle Williams and Carey Mulligans of the world are wearing short hair amazingly well,” she says. “I also think that natural texture is becoming something that people are starting to work with instead of against.”
Local favorites include the evergreen Seattle ponytail – “That will always be huge,” she adds. One caveat: “I love a good ponytail,” Quakenbush says, “but what people don’t realize is that you need to style your hair before it goes [up.] A wearable ponytail is very different than one you wear to the gym.”
In the color department, soft and subtle will win the day this spring. “It seems that we’re going for more of a natural look,” Quackenbush says. “You see finer highlights used for accent pieces rather than over all to change the color. Balayage is continuing to be a trend, and I personally loved the ombre hair of the fall.”
On the men’s side, anything goes as long as it’s thoughtful. “Men’s grooming is in full force,” she says. “They’re wearing everything from short and precise to longer, softer textures.” She credits AMC’s Mad Men for calling attention to the importance of a good cut: “Don Draper has shown that good grooming does make a difference.”
That said, Quackenbush’s only hard and fast rule is to reflect your own style. “I might love the way Michelle Williams wears her hair, but her style is much different than mine,” she says. “There’s nothing wrong with a signature style. Think Audrey Hepburn, Bridgette Bardot, Jackie Kennedy, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, and even the Kardashians. All these people have figured out what looks great on them, and they continue with it.”
Ultimately, the goal of every cut at Adele is client satisfaction. “We cater to all types,” Quackenbush says. “What’s important to us is you loving your hair. If I give you hair that needs to be colored ever five weeks but you only come in every three months, I haven’t done my job. I want you to leave feeling and looking beautiful and being educated about what we did to your hair and how to maintain it.”
When it comes to that infamous Seattle rain, though, she cedes to mother nature. “There isn’t a hairstyle that’s humidity-proof,” she admits. “Curly, straight, fine, thick — we all want to dodge the rain. My advice is to keep your cut maintained, use good products, and start with a good blow dry. Or just say inside.”
