I almost crashed my car driving down NW Glisan last Thursday evening when I spotted a congregation of white clad people; the group included a fallen angel complete with wings, a girl in Day Glo pink hair, and men in suits with white on white ties. The snow-inspired flurry was the launch party for Bishops the Salon in the Pearl District. This isn’t your traditional rock and roll Bishops barber shop. The happy hour party was a mix and mingle crowd with white cocktails and loaded swag bags. It was a room full of friends of Bishops and recognizable faces from their trademark ads. Among the bright white, we spotted a daring young lady dressed in black and asked her about the party and her sultry look (a form fitting black tank top and perfect jeans and black spike heels) “do people actually dress in theme?” retorted makeup artist Kelly Guthauser in a cheeky manner.
Unlike the Bishops barber shops, the new Bishops is an appointment based salon offering hair services, nail services, facial waxing as well as complimentary cocktails. According to General Manager, Stella Farina, “We strive to bring the level of New York City or Tokyo service and skill to Portland while raising the bar for customer service.” With time being of the essence, we were amazed by the tech forward chemical processors that cut processing time in half! The interior of the salon is unique to the Bishops franchise. Designed by owner Leo Rivera, its exposed beams are fitting in the historic Pearl District and the entire space is sleek and modern with natural elements. The manicure table and reception desk are made from wood salvaged from a national park in Washington.
In a city saturated with hair salons, we will be keeping our eye on the softer side of Bishops with its cutting edge visions.
–Ashkan
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