Local Stylist Vu Montgomery, director of education and hairstylist extraordinaire at Bellevue's Obadiah Salon, fulfilled a lifelong dream when he worked backstage as part of Armani's hair styling team for Paris Couture Week. Montgomery was handpicked by the renown celebrity hairdresser Oribe, to join his team backstage for the January 25, 2010 Armani Prive Show.
Being chosen by Oribe, one of fashion's most influential hairdressers, to join his styling team at the show made Vu feel like he had just been awarded the highest honor, "like wining an Oscar". "As a young stylist twenty years ago, I had always dreamed of an opportunity like this, and when I was invited, I felt like I had really made it," shared Montgomery.
Stylist Vu Montgomery
Vu has more that 20 years experience and received his training at Vidal Sassoon in Boston. He has been a platform artist for many manufacturers throughout his career and his work has been featured in many salon industry publications. He is Obadiah's Director of Education and was voted Seattle Magazine's 2008 Best Hairstylist.
Obadiah Salon Obadiah is one of the leading Eastside salons and was founded in 1992 and is located in Bellevue Place, adjacent to Lincoln Square in Downtown Bellevue. Obadiah Salon's mission is to provide high quality service with cutting edge knowledge and excellent customer service. Obadiah Salon is a full service salon and committed to sharing our knowledge, skills and values with our guests to help you look and feel your best.
As if an invitation from Oribe wasn't enough, dressing hair for the models wearing haute couture designs by Armani, one of the most revered designers in the world, felt like divine validation for years and years of hard work, according to Montgomery. "I feel I was not chosen for my skills, he rather for what I represent," he said. Montgomery is true to himself and has integrity. "It takes a special kind of hairdresser to do this; you can't be self indulgent or have an ego. Oribe chose me because it's about being part of a team and I don't mind making Mr. Armani look good," he said. Practice sessions, lasting up to 10 hours for days before the show lent Vu a new sense of humility as Oribe and Mr. Armani himself would reject hair that wasn't the picture of perfection. "Armani is about perfection, the hair had to reinforce that."
That is what inspires me, passionate people.
He found accessing his inspiration easy. According to Montgomery, he looked around the room and found himself in the company of stylists just like himself; hardworking, passionate, visionary. "That is what inspires me, passionate people," he added. The excitement he felt in some amazing way was grounding as he realized this life experience wasn't about reinventing the wheel, but evolving it. "You can't; you just need to find inspiration in the wheel."
Montgomery's ultimate goal at Obadiah Salon is to infuse passion and inspiration into the hearts and minds of his peers, students and clients. For his clients, he wants to craft beautiful hair, plain and simple. For his students and peers, he wants to be their 'Hair Hero' and have them in ten years still loving what they do on a daily basis because of the affect he had in their life. Montgomery is constantly striving to be a better mentor and really wants to make a difference in their lives and also in the industry. Being at Obadiah for over ten years, he has launched many successful careers and made such a difference in so many lives, the salon is a third filled with past students. He is always pushing them to do better and try harder and to have big aspirations, "that's why I do stuff like this, my family and clients miss me, but I come back with so much energy and enthusiasm, it is worth it".
