Fêting The Blow-Dry Bar That’s “GOOP And Gwyneth-Approved”
“Everything here is GOOP and Gwyneth [Paltrow]-approved,” celebrity hairstylist David Babaii pointed out last night as he sat in one of four salon chairs at the opening party for his eponymous blow-dry bar located inside Tracy Anderson’s new 8,500-square-foot Brentwood, California flagship studio. For the hair guru, who has worked his magic on Kate Hudson, Ryan Reynolds, and Angelina Jolie, in addition to Paltrow, the decision to open a blow-dry bar with his muse, and now business partner, was a no-brainer. “Gwyneth said, ‘Do you want to do a blow-dry bar?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ She’s always been an amazing muse. And I’ve lost over 100 pounds in five months because of Tracy, so it was an easy decision,” he joked. “It’s just good business to provide that added service,” a Victoria Beckham-clad Paltrow said when she stepped onto the black carpet as guests and Anderson enthusiasts like Molly Sims, Kim Kardashian, and Stacy Keibler arrived. “We just wanted to create an experience for women that was top to tail, so they could go from the studio to work.” And the location can’t be beat, Anderson added. “It’s west of the 405, which I just really wanted to stay away from,” she explained of the wellness destination that now joins her Studio City space. “Gwyneth grew up in LA., I’ve lived on and off in L.A. for many, many years, and we wanted to bring something to this side of town. We wouldn’t do something this big without debuting a lot of my new research and development on how to get people healthier, more well, more connected, faster, smarter, and better than ever.”At 700 square feet, the blow-dry bar is decidedly smaller than its gym counterpart. But what the Windsor Smith-designed space lacks in size, it more than makes up for in quality products, which have been created by Babaii and will launch at the salon next week (and on his Web site next month). A fervent supporter of animal welfare, Babaii’s 19-25 dollar range, which includes hydration and ultimate volume shampoos, a polished creme serum, the boho beach spray, and an instant straight smoothing balm, is cruelty free, and is also devoid of sulphates, parabens, and petrochemicals—which makes an increasingly green Paltrow plenty happy. So how much time does it take to get the blonde starlet camera-ready? “Twenty minutes,” according to Babaii. “She doesn’t give me more than that! But I’m fast. My team and I have learned to get you in and out quickly.” This speed, and what he calls the bar’s “feel good, no judgment” vibe is what Babaii says will keep the Brentwood studio members happy.
Tracy Anderson Studio and David Babaii Blow-dry Bar, 11918 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, CA; www.tracyandersonmethod.com.
François Nars: Frisco Kid
NARS is on the move. The renowned New York makeup brand that was born from editorial superstar François Nars’ aesthetic vision (and Fabien Baron’s iconic packaging) opened its Bleecker Street flagship in Manhattan back in 2011, which was quickly followed by a Melrose Avenue location in L.A.—not to mention a series of high-profile backstage cameos in London and Paris during the shows (Erdem, Christopher Kane, Roland Mouret, et al.). Now, the brand appears to be turning its attention to the City by the Bay and setting up shop on San Francisco’s famous Fillmore Street. Its new 700-square-foot space features a similar design to its SoCal sister store, with white walls accented with flashes of black and high-gloss, lacquered red—the same shade as the brand’s iconic Jungle Red Lipstick. Four makeup stations will host the same number of François Nars-trained face-painters, who will be armed and ready for demos and makeovers using the line’s complete collection of products—including its 314 BLKR range, which is exclusive to its independent flagships, and includes the newly released sheer garnet Multiple (a Beauty Counter favorite). It will make a nice addition to the neighborhood, which is already home to Marc by Marc Jacobs, much like the small piece of West Village real estate both brands occupy in New York. One-stop shopping, at its bicoastal best.
NARS Cosmetics, 2050 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA; www.narscosmetics.com.
Booking An “Un-Hotel” For LFW
A private address in London is a luxury—even more so during LFW. For those without generous friends or cushy connections, One Fine Stay offers a convenient alternative. Launched in 2010, the “un-hotel” lets visitors stay in tony flats around town while their owners are away. Think of it as a more refined version of Airbnb, with homes that range from a pied-à-terre in Mayfair to a Georgian mews in South Kensington. And when proximity to the shows is a top priority, visitors can narrow down the options to, say, a one-bedroom off a quiet lane in Chelsea owned by an architect and interior designer, or an industrial-eco rooftop apartment in Shoreditch, with solar panels and floor-to-ceiling windows, that belongs to an engineer. Here’s where things get even more interesting: All homes are stocked with toiletries from The White Company, as well as other travel comforts, such as Wi-Fi and an iPhone preloaded with insider-y local recommendations for where to grab supper—or a bespoke facial. Treatments at Sarah Chapman Skinesis, isometric strengthening classes at Frame, and even manicures at Coco Nail Bar are just some of the offerings the device will turn you on to. While London is its home base, the company recently expanded its turf to New York, too—should you be interested in offering up your own apartment during any, ahem, upcoming travels; at least part of the stress of following the fashion tribe to Milan and Paris over the next two weeks will melt away knowing that your apartment is earning its keep while you’re gone.
Beauty By Design
Like the real-estate landscape in Williamsburg, the increasingly gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood’s retail scene is exploding. Boutique after cool boutique seems to be cropping up off the main Bedford Avenue drag, offering up everything from wall-to-wall denim and designer duds to salvaged furniture and “funky” eyeglasses. Caitlin Mociun’s beat at her eponymous concept shop is jewelry—make that jewelry and ceramics. And sculpture. And bags. “It’s all part of a comprehensive lifestyle that I’m promoting,” says the RISD-trained textile designer who dabbled in a fledgling fashion business before turning her attention to baubles two years ago. “It’s nice to make something that has longevity. It feels more sustainable,” she explains of the creative shift, which turned curatorial last March. Following a stint in a pop-up space in downtown Brooklyn, Mociun realized that her wide-ranging taste had more mass appeal than she previously thought. “People liked the same weird shit that I like,” she says of the experience’s takeaway, which prompted her to open a space of her own. The beautiful, white-walled Wythe Avenue venue now houses delicate rings, necklaces, and the like from Wwake, as well as Mociun’s own line, not to mention earthenware from Shino Takeda and Robert Blue, artwork from Genesis Onasis and Katie Krantz, bags from Doug Johnson and Baggu—and the most recent addition to the Mociun lifestyle brand: beauty.
“If you really wanted, you could buy your whole bathroom here,” she says of the purposefully edited selection of soaps and candles from small-batch Brooklyn purveyor Saipua; body care from Aesop, the Australian apothecary company that actually sought her out to stock its array of creams and salves; fragrances from MCMC; extraordinary and hard to come by haircare from Beverly Hills-based Rare El’ements; and, starting this month, One Love Organics skincare. “For me, it’s about finding smaller, more artisanal brands that don’t have a huge array of stuff to pick from,” Mociun explains of her buying process, which also includes an extensive round of “testing” on a diverse group of friends. “I’m open to other things,” she divulges of the prospect of including a makeup brand in the mix going forward—and maybe some additional skincare lines to keep the neighborhood’s increasingly expanding consumer base excited. “They’re building four apartment buildings around the store right now that will accommodate four thousand people,” she points out—at least some of whom, we imagine, will be excited to find an organic, multipurpose skin balm with cold-pressed plant oils, mango butter, and chia-seed extracts just a few doors down.
Mociun, 224 Wythe Ave., NYC, (718) 387-3731.
L’Oréal Professionnel Strikes Oil—Again
Since L’Oréal Professionnel launched its Mythic Oil this summer, its first foray into the highly popular (and highly profitable) hair-oil game, the slim bottle of golden elixir has become a fast favorite at the retail level and on the runway; backstage at Anthony Vaccarello, Anthony Turner kept a bottle of the rice-bran oil-based treatment close at hand to treat models’ world-weary locks and remedy the residual damage of a grueling show schedule. Next month, the French beauty giant is hoping to capitalize on the product’s success with a full line extension that will include a Mythic Oil Nourishing Shampoo, Nourishing Conditioner, and Nourishing Masque, all of which will be fortified with frizz-fighting argan oil and strand-softening cotton seed oil. Even more interesting, however, is the company’s decision to take the liquid gold to its network of trained professionals via an in-salon oil bar. Consisting of three different concentrated blends—a Scalp Clarifying option with citrus, cypress, and tea-tree oil to purify and energize the scalp; a Nourishing option rich in regenerating rice-bran oil; and a Color Protecting option that boasts linseed oil to illuminate and protect individual strands—each service is completely customized and includes an über luxe massage to ensure that the ingredients penetrate the hair follicles without weighing hair down. Talk about a smooth move.
L’Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil In-salon Indulgent Experience, $15 to $50, visit www.LPsalons.com to find a location near you.