Tribe Hair Studio, located in northwest Portland on the corner of NW 19th & Pettygrove, is a hip, modern hair studio whose stated goal is to create a community of beauty, fashion, art and music in a setting that exceeds one's expectations of superior service.

They are exclusively Bumble & Bumble and won the NAHA award in 2009 for Salon Design. The NAHA Awards are the Oscar equivalent in the hair industry, and to win this award means you had to have a jar-tight vision of an efficient and gorgeous space and beat out the nation's best new salons in the process.

Recently, Tribe was deeply involved in the Rockstar Stella Cut-a-Thon, a Portland-wide effort to help pay for a young Portland girl's medical bills, and participated in a nationwide effort to supply hair to soak up Gulf Leak oil.

The owners are young, attractive and dedicated to their salon and each other. Their employees are also a good-looking bunch and, in conversations with several of them, feel an empowered part of the vision and process of Tribe Hair Studio.

It is the salon this author would want to work in if he were a Portlandian. Also, if he were young, good looking and even a little bit hip.

We interviewed the owners Mehdi & Wendy in early July of this year, when the Northwest weather threatens to suddenly tumble into summer and here are the results:

Capelli d'Oro: Thank you for allowing Capelli-doro.com to profile your salon and interview you. I have a few questions I would like to ask about your awesome hair studio and the experience of owning, in our estimation, the best salon in Portland.

Your Salon was awarded the NAHA Salon Design Award for 2009 and beat a field of some of the most elaborate and pricey salons in the US. What did it feel like to be a finalist and then to win this prestigious award?

Wendy: It was such an honor just to be a finalist and to win was beyond words. Tribe was truly a labor of love and it is so amazing to know that other people we respect in our industry think it's pretty cool too.

Capelli d'Oro: The salon is open, inviting, and flawlessly laid out, in our opinion. You truly understand the concept of staging your space for ambience and productivity. What would you like to do or are planning to do to in the near future to alter or improve the environment?

Mehdi: We are always learning and growing from our experiences, striving to inspire and to be inspired. I think the most important thing is to stay on top of it so it always looks fresh and innovative.

Capelli d'Oro: What is the salon experience with bridal parties and event hair and have you recently gone on location for either?

Wendy: We love weddings! I have very talented stylists, all of whom are gifted at event styling. We are always willing to go on location or make a bridal party feel at home and taken care of at the salon.

Capelli d'Oro: We see that your salon is involved in community events, such as the Stella Cut-A-Thon and your Seis De Mayo party. Perhaps including those, what recent show, clinic, and community or fashion event have you recently attended or worked and what was the experience to you and your staff?

Mehdi: We try and give back to our community as much as possible, other than the Stella Rocks Cut-O-Thon and our Seis De Mayo event; we have participated in the clean up of the oil spill by donating our hair clippings to a charity called "A Matter of Trust". Two of our stylists, Heather Simon and Tadimdia Bridges also donated a day off to spend with a local radio station (KBOO) by cutting hair on the air and talking about the oil spill and how hair can help.

We also donate gift baskets of products and services to various fundraisers through out the year. It makes us feel good that we can help and the karma comes back.

Capelli d'Oro: What is your take on recent developments in hair fashion, such as Balayage, Hollywood glamour hair, Clairsonic Skin Care machine, Japanese straightening techniques, or any new tool or technique that holds your interest?

Wendy: We are loving the fact that Glam is back! We love the reintroduction of braids in a new and classy way, as well as big soft curls and edgy bobs. Tribe is also a big supporter of the revolutionary non-toxic Keratin straightening systems.

Capelli d'Oro: Is a presence on Facebook or any other social network a way to get your salon message out and what web presence do you find most effective?

Wendy: City Search and Facebook is where it's at. We just won Portland's Best of City Search 2009. That was very exciting!

Capelli d'Oro: How does one work daily with one's husband/wife and what is the best part of this working relationship?

Mehdi: We have very different personalities, but we kind of have this yin yang thing happening. We balance each other out. Wendy's great at taking care of certain things and I'm better at others. We just get each other. I guess it works.

Wendy: I know people won't believe this, but it's true. It's awesome working with Mehdi. Together we make a great team and at the end of the day it's great to discuss your passion with someone who understands and feels the same way.

Capelli d'Oro: What do you both do to replenish yourselves and to take care of your health and wellness? Do you ever get vacations?

Wendy: We do get to travel a bit, we actually just got back from taking continuing education classes in NYC at the House Of Bumble. It was inspiring just being around our peers and learning from each other.

We've also attended classes in the South of France and Italy. As far as unwinding at the end of a day however, there's nothing like a little yoga and a glass of Vino or two.

Interview By Edward Paul of Capelli d'Oro ©2010