Co-owners and high school friends create spacious, stylist-friendly surroundings
By JAN HOGAN VIEW STAFF WRITER
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The latest concept in hair salons is focused on sheer numbers.
Evolve, at 1225 S. Fort Apache Road, has 50 -- count 'em, 50 -- styling stations. They line the walls of the warehouse-sized salon all in a row.
Owners Derek Crisafulli, Vern Stephens and Larry Traasdahl each ran successful hair salons in town and when the space opened up behind Mimi's Café, they opted to become partners in a single, large-scale operation.
The result is Evolve. The 6,000-square-foot salon opened Dec. 1.
The interior sports plenty of plasma TVs, an open-truss ceiling, trendy wall colors like salmon and track lighting. The cabinetry at each station was designed with the stylist's needs in mind.
It also has something for the workaholic patron -- an instant desk, Internet service and a closet for valuables.
"Sometimes clients are here for three or four hours," Traasdahl said. "This allows them to stay involved even though they're away from the office."
All the stations are offered on a rental basis, meaning the stylists do not work on commission but pay a flat monthly fee ($350) to work there.
It is, the owners say, the newest trend in hair salons.
The main entrance is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is closed off after-hours with roller gates.
"We originally just wanted it for show, just to hear that sound first thing in the morning," said Crisafulli. "But now we actually utilize it."
Because each stylist brings his or her own clients to the table, they can opt to work any hours they like, letting late-night clients in through a private side entrance.
Evolve is just as notable for what it doesn't offer. There are no manicures, no pedicures and no side rooms for massages. The salon focuses on hair and lets the stylists work unimpeded.
"We wanted to go back to old school Vegas, when stylists were treated with respect," said Stephens.
Old school is a good way to describe how the owners first met -- when they attended Bonanza High School. After graduation, they each got into hair styling.
Traasdahl had the idea for a mega-stylists shop brewing in his head for more than a year, scribbling ideas on cocktail napkins or scraps of paper as they occurred to him. He approached the others to form a Limited Liability Company and when the space became available, they signed on the dotted line.
Sharon Winter, a retired mortgage broker, followed her stylist, Polly Thom, to the new location.
On a scale of one to 10, Winter rated the salon a 9.
"It's very nice," she said. "I like the high ceiling and the fact that it's not very noisy."
As for Thom, she said she liked being able to lock everything up at the end of the day.
Crisafulli, Stephens and Traasdahl already are beginning plans for two more locations for Evolve.
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