PR at Partners Salon, Downtown

"I have been going to this salon since 2015. I found Winston on IG and after looking at his work I made an appointment. Since then it has been one amazing experience after another. When I first became a client I only did hair cuts and he gave me gorgeous blow outs. I wanted to do color but I wasn't confident I could pull it off. After some time and Winston being so kind as to answer all my questions I decided to go for it. We start out small with some highlights, as my number one goal has always been to have healthy hair. Now, years later, we have practically done every shade of reds, purples, some pinks, and blond all while maintaining my hair health. I have even seen his former assistants now stylist for services, Marcela and India. I can't recommend Winston and the other stylist in this salon enough. They are talented and truly kind souls."

"Strap in for this review. I went in very undecided about what I wanted but knew I wanted a change. Dayna met me with so much patience, understanding and accommodation. To start with, when going to get hair/nail/ beauty services I am always nervous due to being a wheelchair user. Dayna made sure I was accommodated by allowing me to stay seated during the duration of my services, which allowed me to have a very comfortable and relaxing experience. Another thing I was nervous about is the density of my hair, I have thin/balding hair and always feel insecure wearing it down. During my consultation I mentioned that I wanted a dramatic change but I did not want to compromise the integrity of my hair and wanted to find a way to disguise the thinning. I asked so many questions and Dayna answered all of them, she even talked me through each step of what we were doing and why - I am a naturally curious person so I really appreciated her doing this. She always pulled up pictures to give me ideas and visuals, which was super helpful. Anyways, by the end of the consultation she asked me to trust her and I am so glad I did. I felt that she listened to my needs on top of already making me feel comfortable. While my hair was processing we talked about upkeep/maintenance and products, which again she answered my questions and helped me decide what products to get based off my haircare needs but also my daily routine and personal wants. As she started blowdrying I could already tell I was in love with the color, I feel so refreshed and excited about having something new. I feel more confident especially with having a color that allows me to more comfortably wear my hair down. I am so glad we had the opportunity to connect and collaborate. I look forward to exploring my hair journey with her."

"I had a terrible experience here the one time I tried it. I had Jasmine for a haircut and color and she was terribly unskilled to work with. When she messed up the color, she offered to fix it the next day, but she took my tip and did not show up the next day. I had traveled from out of state to meet her. The manager would not refund me. I chose to try it because Deloitte senior management would go here in the middle of the day for their appointments and I was trying to be the job I wanted. It was close to the old Deloitte G street office, which was superior in relationships than the Rosslyn office. They were definitely not looking to keep my business. I tried the K street location once or twice, where I got a cut that was technically good but not flattering."

"EDIT: I've chosen to color my hair myself. I still believe that better words could have been used when interacting with me. Additionally, the receptionist needs to be honest about what happens in the salon and also about how to put certain services into the booking system. When a receptionist is not honest, it impacts the entire team. -- I had a very horrible experience here. First, let me begin with, I am a black woman. I paid a stylist $340 as a deposit for color, cut, and more, and the receptionist recorded the service as only $215. The other white male owner told me "all they had in the drawer was $215". I went back numerous times to get my money back and was told by the owners including "Jackie" - that they would talk to Dayna. I keep returning to get my $125 back but for some reason each time, I, the black woman return, the police are called. Today, Jackie said, "we already called the police on you" and I responded, "I need to call the police on you and your staff because you are stealing." Stop dispatching the police on black women when someone in your salon stole my money and does not want to do the right thing. That is wrong and victim-blaming. I will not return to PR at Partners Salon, Downtown because their behavior was rooted in racism, misogyny, and more. Finally, another white stylist who was nice to me when I returned and attempted to get their attention said, "Do not touch me". So once again, PR at Partners Salon is a racist, discriminatory place and that is why many black women do not go there. I heard the owner say, "What does she want now?". I want my money back. Honestly, it is bad PR for the owners to not work with the stylist to ensure that money is returned but that is what happens when you do not have a salon mom. Finally, Jackie stated that her "kids were black" as if that has anything to do with anything. Just because your children are "black", they still benefit from a system where the police probably won't get called on them. So finally, the true lesson of my entire interaction from consult to refund is STOP CALLING THE POLICE ON BLACK WOMEN WHEN YOUR STAFF STEALS MONEY. I hope my interaction taught you something. Have a good day!"

"The PR Downtown team is THE BEST. Winston has been coloring my hair for five years, and he is not only one of my favorite people, he is an incredible artist -- his consultations are thoughtful and thorough, and his work is second to none. The salon is welcoming, bright and accommodating, and the staff seems to genuinely seem to enjoy working there. There are so many talented folks, too -- Nadine, Marcela, India, Patty, Cat, Huey, Hermes -- and the front desk staff is always helpful. I've gone to tons of salons in DC and this one has the best people by far!"