by Marcella Ortega
Daily Lobo
Status Salon is not just a place to get a haircut.
"I was trying to get the local art and hip-hop scene and do something with it," said owner Rett Beecher.
The salon will host an event on Friday called Status Report 2.0 with four disc jockeys, graffiti artists and break-dancers. It will include a B-girl competition with a prize of a $100 gift certificate to the salon.
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"It's to give people somewhere to go and hang out, because there is not much to do in Albuquerque," Beecher said.
Beecher opened Status Salon two months ago. He got the idea for the name from a song.
"I was driving along with my friend, and it (the stereo) said, 'What's your status?'" he said. "For some reason, it just stuck."
The salon has an urban decor and a lounge area with a television, couches and wireless Internet.
"I wasn't sure if Albuquerque would be ready for this type of shop," he said. "I like it, because it's an industrial-type place. I like the feel of it."
Beecher said the salon used to be a bicycle shop.
"This shop hasn't been anything in so long," he said. "It was almost condemnable when I got it."
Tara Mccook is a hairdresser at Status Salon. She does haircuts, extensions, cornrows, relaxers and color.
"My clientele is a variety of everybody, every race and all textures of hair," she said.
Mccook said there is nothing like an urban salon because of its multicultural environment.
"It's not in a high-class place," she said. "It's in a place where anybody can walk in. You walk in and feel really welcome. Nobody feels uptight in there. If they did, they would loosen up, because we are real. I think they feed off that vibe."
Mccook said many of her clients are UNM students.
Student Antoinette Murphy said she goes to Mccook for braids, cornrows, twists, shampoos and cuts. She said she likes the salon because it's affordable.
"If you don't have it (money), they will work with you," she said. "If I can afford it, I'm sure a lot of people can."
Murphy said she likes the salon's environment.
"It's more of a hip-hop atmosphere," she said. "You can sit down on an actual couch and watch movies, look at local art. You know your money is going back into the community."
Beecher said he used to work at high-end salons before opening his own business.
"The prices are out of hand and ridiculous," he said. "Our minimum wage is so low that the people can't afford the high-end prices. I wanted to open the shop at a more affordable rate."
The salon features urban artwork and clothing lines by local artists.
"For most of them, it's an opportunity I made for them," Beecher said. "I'm just trying to help out the whole Albuquerque community."
Beecher said he wants to include a patio and espresso bar. He said he will continue to promote the hip-hop culture.
"It's something for people to go do and have a good time," he said. "Hip-hop is for the love and the whole group of people."
