Vain

VAIN is a hair salon, an art gallery, a boutique and a community space committed to the expression of personal style. Click any of the links above to learn more about who we are and what we do. Frustrated by the prevailing attitudes about beauty in the high fashion world, Victoria Thomas Gentry founded VAIN in 1996 in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. Committed to fostering personal self-expression and a “do-it-yourself” philosophy, Victoria initially opened VAIN as a boutique beauty supply. This model put the consumer in the driver’s seat, encouraging people to explore and create their own personal vision of beauty. Having moved to Seattle from New York, Victoria made sure to bring some East Coast style to VAIN and its first customers. That style, along with Victoria’s commitment to individual self-expression, remain integral forces of VAIN to this day. In 1997 the word was out and the demand for Victoria’s personalized haircuts spread, prompting the addition of a one-chair hair salon in the back of the VAIN boutique. Unimpressed by the limited offerings of corporate hair products, Victoria launched the VAIN hair product line. With products like Dirty Boy Dirty Girl hair goo and 2nd Day Hair shampoo, VAIN met the needs of people searching for the non-squeaky clean look and for an alternative to salon-exclusive mainstream hair care products.