With both rising stars and reigning superheroes at the helm, eight new salons—from under-the-radar ateliers to over-the-top grooming meccas—are set to sweep the nation this fall.
Edited by Sarah Brown.
ION
NYC
More than a decade working on photo shoots with models, celebrities, downtown artists, and musicians has earned editorial hairstylists Leonardo Manetti, Marco Santini, and Pasquale Ferrante a serious cult following. Now the handsome Italian-born triumvirate is taking on SoHo with the opening of its new eco-salon, ION. (The name is a nod to their decades-old friendship: "It's noi, which means 'we' in Italian, spelled backward," says Manetti.) Boasting wind-powered energy, reclaimed wooden furniture fit for a design studio, and carbon-neutral shampoos and conditioners from the Italian line Davines, the loftlike space feels as coolly understated as the threesome themselves. It's also home base for edgy colorist Lena Ott—the go-to girl for rock stars (Katy Perry) and models (Doutzen Kroes) in search of a chic transformation. Cuts from $125; color from $110. 41 Wooster Street; (212) 343-9060.
SERGE NORMANT AT JOHN FRIEDA
Los Angeles
Serge Normant, the celebrated stylist and creative director of John Frieda, is the latest fashion star to hang a shingle on Melrose Place. Normant now takes top billing at Sally Hershberger's former space, known for its serene courtyard pool. Chic updates include off-white-terrazzo floors and jaw-dropping contemporary art from Frieda's private collection—think Vik Muniz and Andy Goldsworthy, among others. Normant will fly in from his buzzing New York salon a few days each month to see clients like Amber Valletta and Cindy Crawford, as will his second in command, supermodel-magnet Harry Josh, stylist and colorist to Gisele Bündchen, Gemma Ward, et al. Cuts from $150; color from $110. 8440 Melrose Place, West Hollywood; (323) 653-4040.
RICARDO ROJAS
NYC
"It's like being backstage," says Ricardo Rojas of the vibe at his swinging new space downtown, at the Hotel Rivington. "The black walls, the music, the privacy, the excitement." Rojas, who previously ran an exclusive two-chair operation out of his apartment and spent years traveling with Donatella Versace, has infused his first official atelier with a full dose of glam-rock grandeur: lacquered Louis XIV armchairs upholstered in hot-pink silk, windows tinted celebrity-black, beveled mirrors, the works. On site and available for appointments until 1:00 a.m. are five stylists—Argentine up-and-comer Sergio is getting rave reviews—a colorist, and a manicurist. Hollywood-hyped oxygen facials are available upon request, too. Cuts from $150; color from $150. 105 Rivington Street; (212) 564-4949.
MIZU
Boston
As the son of legendary hairstylist Vidal, Elan Sassoon was practically predestined to open Mizu, his new 3,300-square-foot salon in the Mandarin Oriental hotel. The sculptural ground-floor space just off Newbury Street, with its vaulted ceilings and pale-gold laser-cut partitions, recalls his father's love of bold architectural shapes. To keep jet-setting clientele happy during chair time with creative director Patrick McGinley, Elan offers preprogrammed iPods, mini televisions, and wireless laptops; a private staircase whisks overstressed types upstairs to the hotel's Zen spa. Frequent fliers take note: A second Mizu location opens this month in Manhattan. Cuts from $125; color from $80. Mandarin Oriental, 776 Boylston Street; (617) 585-6498.
HAMADIBEAUTY STUDIO
Los Angeles
The former ladies' lounge in the lobby of the El Royale, a historic 1920s apartment building in Hancock Park, is such an ideal nook for a salon that it's hard to believe it took this long. Then again, not everyone would get the elegantly faded glamour of the building that Cameron Diaz, Kate Bosworth, and Ben Stiller have all called home. But for eco-conscious stylist Jamal Hammadi, this is the real Hollywood. "I live on the tenth floor, and I'm never, ever leaving," he says. "People rarely do." The tiny studio, outfitted with vintage light fixtures and an Art Deco mirror, is just big enough for Hammadi, an assistant, a colorist, and privacy-conscious clients like Linda Evangelista. "For me, it's perfect. It's really personal. And the paparazzi can't get in." Cuts from $300; color from $150. 450 North Rossmore Avenue; (323) 254-7788.
WARREN-TRICOMI
NYC
If Eloise were all grown up, she'd be right at home in the Plaza hotel's new 6,000-square-foot supersalon. Inspired by old photos of iconic hotel guests like Jackie O and the Beatles, colorist Joel Warren and hairstylist Edward Tricomi settled on "sumptuous" black-and-cream interiors, flattering theatrical lighting, and paneled wall etchings meant to evoke the building's original seventeenth-century French decor. Holding court on the main floor is a staff of 80 hairstylists, colorists, brow groomers, and makeup artists—the star attraction of which is surely backstage veteran/editoral makeup whiz Charlie Green, in residence Thursday through Saturday. The lower level boasts a posh nail clinic complete with heated massage chairs and Murano-glass pedicure bowls, plus a private VIP room for high-profile clients like Ivanka Trump and Kate Beckinsale. Cuts from $136; color from $131. The Plaza, 1 West Fifty-eighth Street, second floor; (212) 262-8899.
SALLY HERSHBERGER
Los Angeles
"It's glamour beyond. I mean, seriously. It's everything I love," says Sally Hershberger of her new penthouse looking out on the Santa Monica Mountains and Hollywood Hills. With floor-to-ceiling windows and a rotating collection of modern art, the space is somewhere between a sleek "hair and beauty laboratory" and "an apartment you'd want to live in." Besides Hershberger, who will split her time between the West Coast and her Meatpacking District salon in NYC, the new space is home to some of the most talented names in hair: colorists Negin Zand (Cate Blanchett and Angelina Jolie are clients) and Jonathan Gale (discovered by Steven Meisel; now a Charlize Theron favorite), and stylist Mark Townsend (the man behind Reese Witherspoon's and Natalie Portman's cuts). Cuts from $150; color from $110. 760 North La Cienega Boulevard; (310) 854-4922.
FRÉDÉRIC FEKKAI
Greenwich, CT
Generous guy that he is, Frédéric Fekkai built his latest outpost as a treat for his inner circle: "Many of my friends live in Greenwich, so it was natural to open a salon there," he says. The brick-walled space—a former carriage house—was certainly music to the ears of Fekkai loyalists and Connecticut locals like Byrdie Bell and Marissa Noel, not to mention their mothers, who had been trekking to Manhattan for their hairstyling needs. Led by creative director Alexandre Chouery, the full-service operation offers head-to-toe grooming—nails, brows, makeup—and is open till 8:00 on Thursdays. Cuts from $125; color from $135. 2 Lewis Court; (203) 861-6700.
"Cuts Above" has been edited for Style.com; the complete story appears in the November 2008 issue of Vogue.
