by tim parks
When you walk through the doors of DISconnected Salon,
located at 3830 30th Street in North Park, it feels as if you are
stepping across the threshold of time and space, where the past
meets the future in a cohesive collision.
Circular lights dangle over each stylist station, illuminating the
red chairs that would be easily at home on a 1970s movie set or
that of a futuristic film – each chair complementing the accom-
panying red walls.
World music drips from the speakers, vying with the sound
of hair dryers, which hang from plugs affixed into the ceiling by
black boxes; intermingling with the chatter between stylists and
clientele, creating a musicality similar to that emanating from
the speakers. Your eye can’t help but be drawn to a plethora of
artwork, framing the walls with their eclectic variety of color
schemes and imagery.
Anchored in the center of the salon is a white Formica counter
space (with matching white plastic stools) stocked with coffee,
water, wheatgrass and even goodies to nosh upon. This is some-
thing you might find in a lounge, rather than where clients are
waiting with their hair in foil, ready to be transformed from their
experience at DISconnected Salon.
And, this is exactly the intent that DISconnected’s owner, Neil
Hughes, had when he envisioned owning his own salon back
in 2006. “The entrepreneurial spirit made me want to open my
own salon,” Hughes stated. “I love the craft, I love people – there’s
nothing like working for yourself.”
And that same spirit took hold when it came time to come up
with the concept for the look and feel for DISconnected.
“Once we decided what the name for the salon was going to be,
we went to a branding official and the branding official branded
us,” Hughes explained regarding the look the salon has. “And we
use that brand for the inspiration of the salon. So, the DIScon-
nected logo – white, black, splashes of red is what the inspiration
is.” As for the feel, it is Hughes’ love of people that motivated him
in that department.
“The hub of our salon, the disco bar (the first five letters of
DISconnected) - the idea behind that is so people aren’t waiting
in a cold, boring area in the front, and they’re immediately drawn
into the action,” he said. “They get greeted with a beverage and all
of that good stuff.”
Being on top of trends isn’t something that Hughes sees as
necessarily key in his line of work, but he does see the importance
of staying ahead of the curve.
“I believe the key is to stick with suitability,” Hughes explained.
“There’s usually no future in a trend—trends come and go. Stay-
ing ahead of the curve is accentuating the beauty that people
already obtain and possess. It’s all about suitability, when it
comes to any sense like fashion, lifestyle and so on.”
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on
Hughes gave us his take on what sets DISconnected apart from
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its competition in North Park and other salons in the vicinity.
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Disc
“The thing that separates us apart is the way we feel about it,”
619.298.3830
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he said. “We feel like there are so many salons – I feel like there is
30th
3830
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92104
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no competition. The people who come through these doors are
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edsalon.com
people who we naturally vibe with.”
disconnec
APRIL 2009 | RAGE monthly 63
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