the Gordon Family
A fourth generation hairstylist, Tony Gordon is a former Aveda Purefessional & an Intercoiffure member for over 10 years. His work has spanned NYFW & with large fashion house names like Versace. He is passionate about growing hairstylists into haircutting & coloring masters.
Tony's great-grandmother was a wig maker for the Chicago Lyric Opera. His grandmother was a principal of the American Beauty Academy in Chicago, founded Elizabeth Gordon Hair Designs in Hyde Park, & was considered to be one of the top colorists of her time.
Jerry Gordon, his father, was a legacy in the Chicagoland hair industry. He owned one of the first Aveda Salons in the United States, J. Gordon Designs, & was recognized as the 1990 Hair Salon Owner of the Year. Katherine Gordon, Tony’s sister, is a hairdresser in New York & Los Angeles and has worked on film & television.
Pamela, also a multi-generational hairstylist, started in the hair industry with Tony. She’s worked on the floor in almost every Gordon Salon location, being the first Senior Master Stylist. She continues to provide her award-winning team with leadership & guidance to build a successful career in the beauty industry, providing above & beyond services for guests.
Their two children, Jessica & Michael Gordon are 5th generation hair stylists & have worked with the Gordon Salon teams for over 20 years, collectively. Both are business graduates as well as passionate hair designers. They have done hair on stage with industry legends, competed for Intercoiffure Nouveau & won next generation leadership awards two years running by the 2-to-10 Conference. Currently, Jessica is the Director of Human Resources & Michael is the Director of Marketing.
Tony & Pam Gordon
Our Mission at Gordon Salon is to provide beauty and wellness for all Humanity.
We believe one of the best ways to create these conditions for stylists is continuing their education beyond beauty school, in our salons. It is a crucial step to the overall success and longevity of any hairdresser's career.
Every stylist on our team has extensive knowledge of their field. Our rigorous training program ensures that all Gordon Salon hair designers receive expert education, specializing them in both cut and color.
We firmly believe that your overall wellness is sacred. We proudly use only Aveda’s naturally-derived products. By tapping into the essences of plants and flowers, we ensure only the healthiest ingredients touch your skin and hair while conserving the planets resources.
OUR STORY
Gordon Salon was founded in 1999. Upon opening, Tony & Pam sought out to solve a prevalent problem that most salons were facing at that time.
"As Salon owners, one thing that we knew was that the salon industry lacked advanced, consistent training available to stylists after they graduate beauty school. Because of this, we saw a lot of hair dressers becoming burnt out and switching careers after a few short years. It saddened us that so many people failed to accomplish their dreams of becoming successful stylists. So, we created a training program that addressed those issues."
Gordon in Lakeview opened a few blocks from Wrigley Field in a historic brownstone. The salon was expanded to two levels with a full spa & education center in 2005. The building was eminently domained in 2017 by the City of Chicago for the planned Red & Purple line CTA expansion.
In August 2006, Pam and Tony relocated their Ravinia salon to Downtown Highland Park. As a Highland Park resident himself, Tony loves being able to interact with members of their community every Friday.
Gordon in Wilmette is located right off of the Eden's Expressway, perfect for guests coming from different suburbs within Lake or Cook County. Pam Gordon can be found working her magic on the floor on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Wilmette is home to our largest Gordon Salon team.
Gordon in the Glen is located in a rehabilitated airplane hanger from the 1950s, with soaring ceilings and prominent corner locationThe two story space is home to the Gordon Emerging Artist program. The Town Center is filled with places to eat and shop, making this location a perfect spot for regular hair appointments.
Gordon in Lakeshore East is tucked away behind the Blue Cross & Blue Shield building on East Randolph in a park filled with restaurants, shops, and a Mariano's grocery store. The team of the former Gordon in Lakeview relocated to this space at the the end of 2017.
We are able to validate parking in the Mariano's parking garage for up to 3 hours for $4. If parking is an issue, public transit to Lakeshore East is available via the CTA Bus Route #60.
Gordon in Evanston is located in a historic brownstone just a few short blocks from Northwestern University's campus. The building is originally from 1930, nestled in a walkable business block surrounded by beautiful Tudors and Evanston Bungalows. We preserved this 92 year old building's brownstone facade with it’s ribboned terra cotta moldings, and rehabilitated the interior, exposing 9 decades of items we reincorporated in the frames. The interior was completely rehabilitated, down to a state of the art HVAC with HEPA filtration. The space was designed with attention paid to reducing the environmental impact of each material chosen. Reducing our footprint came into play with elements such as the marble epoxy floor, reusing the original steel framing and keeping the building's original brick walls, preserved in our wash house and the retail area. We recycled a Central Street jewel in need of repair, making the new Gordon In Evanston a shining flagship location on a rapidly up and coming block.