Going rogue

MOSES LAKE — The new salon on East Broadway is called Rogue Collective for a reason.

“We had this dream to do it all together,” said owner Dana Mendoza. “That’s where the ‘collective’ came from. It’s a pretty amazing group of women. Everyone has their own separate gifts and talents.”

The “rogue” part of the name comes from the fact that the professionals all came from other salons with the same idea: to do things their own way.

“(We’re) breaking out of what we were doing before,” Mendoza said. “Breaking out of a negative space and doing something a little bit more daring and brave, trying new things.”

The décor at Rogue Collective reflects that. Every room is a little different. The big room in the front for hairstylists has rough wooden furnishings and black walls with inspirational sayings. The other rooms in back, for nails, massage, piercings and more, are all decorated according to each specialist's fancy.

Nail tech Angie Garza has a wall dedicated to books. Not just covers or pictures of books, but actual books, with their pages waving open and flowers tucked into them. 

“I love to read, and I wanted my place to feel cozy and homey,” Garza said. “So this is what I created.”

Some of the specialists at Rogue Collective worked for Garza in the past at another salon, she said. 

“They’re a great group of girls and I think they’ve created something really beautiful together,” she said. “I’m excited to see what the future holds for us.”

Esthetician Ireland Hibbs created a swooping wall installation with drywall, with a round space for a sign to go into.

“I haven’t figured out (what kind of sign) yet,” Hibbs said. “For right now, I like how it brings color into the room, but in a subtle way so it’s not overly aggressive.”

This is Mendoza’s first time running a salon, but she said several of her coworkers have experience with the process and can mentor her.

“Our ability to communicate goes a long way,” she said. “We do a lot of meetings together, a lot of team building. We’ll do a salon day where we just come and hang out, do a potluck and a meeting and keep a close-knit group. Sometimes in salon spaces, you can lose that a little, and individuality can be a little isolating. So we work hard to (make it) a team effort, to work on ourselves to work better together. It’s a lot of work, but I think that’s what makes (Rogue Collective) different from other places.”

Rogue Collective

821 E. Broadway Ave., Ste. 11

www.facebook.com/roguecollectiveML

509-868-3964

    Dana Mendoza shows the eclectic décor in the hair area of Rogue Collective.
  

    Nail tech Angie Garza’s love of reading inspired her workspace at Rogue Collective.
  

    Esthetician Ireland Hibbs isn’t finished with her decorating yet. The round space behind her will eventually hold a sign.