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| Nicky Clarke |
An invitation to go to
join Nicky Clarke, regarded as one of the best hairdressers in the
business, for a glass of bubby and see his new salon was one that I couldn’t
pass up.
After 21 years on Mount Street, Nicky agreed a deal with the Duke of
Westminster, his landlord to relocate round the corner to Carlos Place,
near the Connaught hotel. Designer Oscar de la Rente will be occupying his old premises.
Personally, I think this was a smart move in many ways. This
new two-storey salon is far more compact and cosy than the original one. The décor, dark wood floors and carpeted stairs and lighting reflect the
architectural style of its Georgian townhouse surrounds. There is a touch of
the old establishment: a wall featuring covers of
magazines that showcase the maestro’s work. Nicky pointed out that there are still finishing touches to
be done. The salon is operating
with a temporary reception desk, for example. Although, I have to admit that I didn’t feel that this
deterred from the general ambience of this buzzy place packed with people from all walks of life.
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| Styled by Craig Pellowe |
My stylist was Craig Pellowe. We decided to go with a style
that worked with the movement of my hair as the weather was atrocious and a
sleek blow-dry would have been ruined the moment that I stepped out of the
door. Craig placed some Velcro rollers on the crown for volume and pin curled
the bottom.
We got talking about fringes as so many celebs such as Zooey
Deschanel and Lea Michele have been seen supporting blunt bangs.
“I prefer classic fringes as they are more versatile. Heavy
ones usually look better on 19 or 20 year-olds,” Craig said.
There are downsides to thick bangs, they can be hot in the
summer (if we get any sun) and they won’t work if you have curly tresses, a low
hairline or a cowlick in your hair. Craig suggests looking at the movement and
hair line before cutting the hair (not too short) wet, then rough- drying it to
see how the hair falls, so that you can tweak the final shape.
Side-swept fringes can soften a square or long face. If you
don’t feel as if you want to take the plunge, Craig’s solution is to try a fake
one.
By Daralyn Danns
Nicky Clarke (www.nickyclarke.com)
