Salon Virho was established in 1942, in Oulu. Our company is one of Finland’s oldest hairdressing businesses and has been in the same family throughout its history. We have hair salon with a total of 18 employees. We have been at Hallituskatu 11 since 2017, Oulu.
We train our staff in Finland and abroad. In addition, top trainers from around the world visit the salon each year. We are a member of Haute Coiffure Française and bring the latest hair fashions from Paris to our clients. We have won a number of prestigious international awards, including the Global Salon Business Awards, in 2004 and 2008.
We warmly welcome you to our salon!
Salon Virho Oulu
Salon Virho’s professional team warmly welcomes clients to our new Oulu premises, located on the corner of the Rio building. Our hairdressing salon is at street level and barber services are found below. The bright, modern and spacious hair salon has 18 employees. In addition to hairdressing and make-up services, we arrange a variety of in-store evenings and events for our clients, as well as fashion shows at local venues. We also offer unforgettable wedding day packages for the bride and groom, attendants, family and friends.
Hallituskatu 11 A 1
90100 Oulu
Opening hours
Mo–Fri 9–18
Sat 9–15
Booking Oulu
Tel. (08) 8150 123
[email protected]
Salon Virho Helsinki
Salon Virho, Helsinki, is run by Rane Isola, who has 30 years experience in the hairdressing industry and has worked for Salon Virho in Oulu for the past two decades. Salon Virho participates in many fashion shows in Finland and abroad, where Rane often creates hair designs on the stage. He attends many international and local trainings arranged by Salon Virho with, for example, Haute Coiffure Française and Redken.
Fabianinkatu 4
00130 Helsinki
Opening hours
Mo–Fri 9–18
Sat 9–15
Booking Helsinki
Tel. +358 40 7171 898
History
Kirsti Virho was only 20 years old when she opened her first salon, Tuiran Kutri, with a loan of fifty marks. Kirsti started with two client places and made her own shampoo from lavender and roses.
It was wartime and there were frequent air raid alarms. Kirsti sometimes had to ask a client if they would like to “Continue the perm or go to the bomb shelter?´ Often, the customer said, “Go on with the perm.”
By 1962 Kirsti Virho had expanded the business to three salons, bringing the latest international trends in hairdressing to Oulu.
Kirsti´s daughter Liisa followed in her mother´s footsteps, and at the age of 14 took care of her first client: “I cut my friend´s long hair short for her confirmation picture” Liisa recalls. Liisa learnt to cut and style men´s hair in Helsinki with Master Barber Tiainen, and later studied more at a salon in Wiesbaden, Germany where she realised “the best teacher is my mother Kirsti.”
From generation to generation
In 1987 the hair salon ownership transferred from mother to daughters. Liisa Virho-Kilponen became the sole owner of the family business in 1998 and opened a new salon in Pekurinkulma, moving in 2006 to Kirkkokatu 4. A second Oulu salon was opened in Stockmann, in 2010.
In spring 2017 Salon Virho moved to the present Oulu premises at Hallituskatu 11 A 1, and in the autumn opened a salon in Helsinki for the first time, at Fabianinkatu 4. Liisa considers her most important professional achievements the Global Salon Business Awards, 2004 in London and ‘
2008 in Hollywood. Also, she says “Being president of Haute Coiffure Française Finland and representing Finland at the Louvre, Paris shows are wonderful memories.”
Liisa and her team arrange various events in Oulu, including charity gala events and hair shows. Everyone in the company helps to design and organise the charity galas in Oulu to raise money for children with special needs. Thanks to the celebrities, local companies and business partners who take part, the events are a huge success. Salon Virho also provides hairstyling and demonstrations for major fashion shows in Helsinki and Paris.
The third generation
Kirsti Virho, the grand old lady, continued to work in her own little hair salon until 2008. Her faithful clients included some who had been with her for sixty years. During her career, Kirsti trained over 80 salon professionals and left a permanent mark on the history of Finnish hairdressing.
Salon Virho is Finland’s oldest family hairdressing business and will continue to be so also in the future “Both my daughter Tiina, and my son Sami, are working for Salon Virho” says Liisa happily.
