Although there are a handful of superior blowout bars in San Francisco, it can be difficult to secure an appointment at the last minute. So what’s a chic girl about town with a head full of messy hair supposed to do when faced with a impromptu, yet fabulous invitation? Subscribe to Prête, an exclusive new members-only service that has just launched in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Here’s how it works: first you have to secure an invitation from an existing member to join the club. Next, choose your membership package. Prête has three: a free membership in which each blowout costs $35; an insider membership that has an initial fee of $45, but each blowout is only $29; and an unlimited membership with a monthly fee of $129 where you can get as many blowouts as you want and never have to wash or style your own hair. There is also an option to add manicures to your subscription. Prête doesn’t have a salon, but instead partners with some of the city’s best hairstyling boutiques to offer last-minute appointments. The participating salons—which include Steel & Lacquer, Lexington Place, Metamorphosis, Salon DnA, Milvali, and Cinta—benefit from the partnership because Prête fills their empty appointment times.
Prête was founded by Nina Ojeda, an entrepreneur and the mastermind behind The Avenue West, an LA-based market expansion agency specializing in the tech and lifestyle categories. When asked why she decided to start a blow-out service Ojeda said, “I haven’t washed or styled my own hair in a year – and was spending close to $300 per month on blowouts! About three years ago, when ClassPass came to LA, I offhand mentioned to my best friend that there should be one of those for blowouts.” At that time, she was busy starting The Avenue West, but as Ojeda continued to get weekly blowouts, she couldn’t get the idea out of her head. “Once The Avenue West was up, running, and growing on its own, it was apparent that my next step would be to start something new,” she explained. “I had always thought of The Avenue West as a sort of incubator as we shape brands and build public perception and growth for startups, so Prête felt like an obvious next step. I’m still able to do what I love most and I have an amazing team around me who is just as excited about this as I am!” Although we’re not a part of her team, we’re certainly excited by the arrival of this haute new service in San Francisco.
