Hey NY'ers, do you recognize the stylist mentioned in the recent NYTimes article?

[soopahgrover]

Someone else was very kind to link to the recent article in the NYTimes, "Why Can't Middle-Aged Women Have Long Hair?" http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/fashion/24Mirror.html

The top of the second page mentions a hair stylist:
I won’t even tell you what my Madison Avenue hairdresser, Joseph — the consummate high-end hair professional! — told me about how we shouldn’t even be using all those chemically laden shampoos. O.K., I will tell you: Those shampoos strip out the hair’s protective oils, and then you have to replace them with other chemical brews. He recommends regular hot water rinses and massaging of the scalp with fingertips. A little patience is required while the scalp’s natural oils rebalance themselves and — voilà — glossy, thick tresses, for free.

Does anyone recognize Joseph and have more info on him? I did try Google, but the results of that search are inconclusive. :) I did try to contact the author, but she's already received 43 comments on her blog post about the article, so I doubt she has time to respond to each one of us. Her 'contact me' page only lists her agent. I will update if I do receive a response from her.

[phistash]

Madison Avenue? Definitely no idea. :D

[michaelw]

Sorry, no idea here... there are just so many places with Joesephs there..I am in the biz... go to many hair shows and get all the pro publications... this is the first time I have heard. I will nose around a bit and try to see... but not optimistic I can find it either. Best bet is to wait to hear from the author

[mira-chan]

George Michael's salon Madora is on Madison Avenue. Joseph might be on staff there or he might be in one of the hundreds of salons on Madison Avenue.

Madora is a long hair salon so the stated opinions in the article would agree with their philosophy.

[StephanieB]

George Michael's salon Madora is on Madison Avenue. Joseph might be on staff there or he might be in one of the hundreds of salons on Madison Avenue.

Madora is a long hair salon so the stated opinions in the article would agree with their philosophy.
And there was (maybe still is, dunno) a Joseph there, too... but there are Josephs in half of the salons around there, so... *shrug*

Only the article's author (or her editor) can tell you for sure who and where it was that she wrote about. Have you also tried contacting the editor to ask?

[soopahgrover]

George Michael's salon Madora is on Madison Avenue. Joseph might be on staff there or he might be in one of the hundreds of salons on Madison Avenue.

Madora is a long hair salon so the stated opinions in the article would agree with their philosophy.

Ahhhh of course! I knew of the George Michael Madora salon, and I think I knew they were on Madison Avenue, but I completely forgot. I bet that's right. Thanks!


And there was (maybe still is, dunno) a Joseph there, too... but there are Josephs in half of the salons around there, so... *shrug*

Only the article's author (or her editor) can tell you for sure who and where it was that she wrote about. Have you also tried contacting the editor to ask?

Yeah, I guess I don't need the same stylist per se, just someone with that kind of attitude. At the very least, someone I can trust to cut it well, and not take off too much, and for goodness sake comb it gently and not attack it with a brush. ::cringe::

Thanks, everybody!

[CherrySilver]

George Michael's salon Madora is on Madison Avenue. Joseph might be on staff there or he might be in one of the hundreds of salons on Madison Avenue.


No, sorry, it must be another salon on Madison. I know all of the stylists there and there definitely aren't any guys working there! Pity the writer didn't mention the name of the salon....

[HintOfMint]

No, sorry, it must be another salon on Madison. I know all of the stylists there and there definitely aren't any guys working there! Pity the writer didn't mention the name of the salon....

Pretty smart of her not to mention the name of the salon. If I wanted to get an appointment with him within a year again, I wouldn't say the name in the NY Times either!

[Sigzephyr]

She mentions the salon in her latest blog post: "This morning I went to see my own hairdresser, Joseph, at Salon 74."
http://www.slowlovelife.com/2010/10/today-show-on-burning-issue-of-our-day.html

[CherrySilver]

She mentions the salon in her latest blog post: "This morning I went to see my own hairdresser, Joseph, at Salon 74."
http://www.slowlovelife.com/2010/10/today-show-on-burning-issue-of-our-day.html

Thanks for the link, Sigzephyr. She's a great writer, and I love her pics, too!

[soopahgrover]

Thank you! I don't need a haircut right now, but I am definitely filing that away for future reference. ^_^

I agree, her book looks really good. I've been wearing my pajamas a lot more since I lost my job last year, and overall, I probably have been much happier. (Although there's a lot to be said for health insurance and reliable income.) Anywho, I reserved her book at the library and look forward to reading it.

[soopahgrover]

So I have a report!

I just started a new job at an office in SoHo, and I know it's all in my head, but I thought I needed a haircut, so people might think my hair looked nice, and not just long. (I know there was a thread about this recently, but I can't find it.) Anyway. SoHo is so chic, and I'm a t-shirt and jeans and no makeup sort of person, so I thought a trim would be a good idea. I'll get to classic someday! For now, I just want everyone in the new office to be impressed by me. ^_^ So I had a few inches taken off my tailbone length hair. You can now see my butt, and the fact that I have a waist. When your hair is to your butt, it conceals your waist. :/

*cough* Enough rambling.
So, I give Joseph a good review! It was rather expensive. $130 plus tax and tip. :/ But usually when I pay a lot less than that, I get someone who attacks my hair with a comb, rather than combs it properly, and just doesn't do a cut that I like.

The salon is really cute. It's in the garden level of a house or apartment building (I didn't really look up!) and it's pretty cozy. He's got a big afghan hound who is super lovely.

As the NYTimes article mentioned, he pushes the no-poo method, which I'm not ready to try when I just started a new office job, but was refreshing all the same. Most hair stylists would be mortified by no-poo, I think! LOL He also encouraged me to buy a Mason Pearson brush, which isn't to say he wanted to sell me one, because they don't sell them. But he said that'd be good to distribute oils from the scalp down the length. He also put some Moroccanoil in my hair, which they do sell, and I had to agree was quite lovely. But it's hard to judge, because hair is always soft and untangly when it's freshly trimmed. But there was no pressure with that either. I decided to do some internet research before I bought the oil, and ended up purchasing some pure argan oil off Amazon instead.

I had briefly considered maybe trying the Madora George Michael salon instead, but after reading this old LHC review (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/archive/index.php/t-43346.html), I gave Salon 74 a call. I'm glad I did!

[Eireann]

What a great article! Thanks for posting. When I saw the title, I thought "oh, here we go again." I'm glad to have been wrong. Thanks again!

Signed,

A happily middle aged longhair

ETA:
I just made the mistake of reading some of the comments to the article, which include the typical "hanging on to youth" "mutton dressed like a lamb" and even "pathetic." Just when I thought my faith in humanity might be restored. Sigh.

[soopahgrover]

Aw, but if I remember correctly, some of the comments on the article were quite positive!

[Eireann]

Aw, but if I remember correctly, some of the comments on the article were quite positive!

You're absolutely right! I'm glad I perservered through the typically negative ones. :)

[beez1717]

<crosspost with this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1348904#post1348904)>

(P.S. I'm making this into it's own thread but I thought this should go here as well)

[soopahgrover]

I don't disagree, but after being unemployed for nearly two years, the time you start a new office job in one of the most high fashion neighborhoods in the country is not the time to question mainstream notions of beauty.

[aenflex]

It's cool you all were able to figure out who/where it was. I'm not even trying to downplay his skills either. But 130 for a cut is just a ridicolous number to me. Not that Soopahgrover is ridiculous for paying it, to each their own and all that good stuff. Plus if you've got the money...
I just think NO ONE is worth 130 for a cut.

[phistash]

It's cool you all were able to figure out who/where it was. I'm not even trying to downplay his skills either. But 130 for a cut is just a ridicolous number to me. Not that Soopahgrover is ridiculous for paying it, to each their own and all that good stuff. Plus if you've got the money...
I just think NO ONE is worth 130 for a cut.

I just checked your profile to see where you are from, just in case, but I see no identifying geographical information. So I'm just going to assume you are not from NYC. Ignore the following if you are :):

Unfortunately, $130 is not even close to outrageous for NYC. The standard price for a cut here is about $50. That's for something very basic, and for people with easy hair to cut. If you want a great cut by a trusted hairdresser, $130 is about what I would expect to pay. I have a couple of friends who spend $300 on their haircuts here, not because they have tons of money to throw around, but because they have extremely curly hair that takes time to be cut properly. Cut + tip can easily add up. I cut my own hair, for what it's worth, but I can get away with that because of my hair type, and it's not because I think the prices are outrageous. It's more because, if I can do it myself, then for me it's an unnecessary expense.
I find it interesting that I am so used to these prices, even though I don't go to hairdressers anymore, that I don't even blink when confronted with them.

[phistash]

I don't disagree, but after being unemployed for nearly two years, the time you start a new office job in one of the most high fashion neighborhoods in the country is not the time to question mainstream notions of beauty.

There is a reason I don't work in the fashion industry. I love high fashion, but I cannot stand feeling compelled to wear on-trend outfits and colors. I like academia because I can wear something nice one day, then wear sweats the next. Not that I wear sweats to work, cough. :wink:

[soopahgrover]

There is a reason I don't work in the fashion industry. I love high fashion, but I cannot stand feeling compelled to wear on-trend outfits and colors. I like academia because I can wear something nice one day, then wear sweats the next. Not that I wear sweats to work, cough. :wink:

Yeah I don't work in fashion either. I just work in an office in SoHo. If I understand correctly, my employer's HQ was there long before all the trendy shops.
I don't dislike working in SoHo, but srsly, you can't walk half a block without seeing someone who's trying to look like she just stepped out of Vogue magazine. ::eyeroll:: That, and every other pair of female feet you see is sporting Uggs. Ugh.

Re: Paying $130 for a haircut:
Yeah I dunno. The cost of living in NYC throws every monetary equation out of whack. If you gave me half an hour, the internet, and a calculator, I could probably figure out how much money you should charge a person for sitting in a chair in the 10021 zip code for 45 minutes. And then we'll talk about reasonable cost of services and add that in. :p
That's being snarky, I suppose. But really, if you're good at what you do, why shouldn't you expect people to pay you well for it?
I don't usually talk to women I know about how much they pay for their haircuts in this city, but I suspect $130 isn't bad. *shrugs* When I get my hair cut once every 6 to 9 months, it isn't worth too much worrying over.

[GRU]

NYC is definitely in a class by itself when it comes to cost of living.

Back when I still got my hair cut, my stylist here in SW Michigan apologized when she had to raise her rate to $14.00 for a cut-and-style. I think she charges about $35 for coloring and $50 for perms.

A quick perusal of some of the websites for salons/spas in my area shows a typical shampoo/cut/style price of $28-$40, updo/formal styles around $40-$55, and perms/coloring around $50-$80.

For comparison, you can also rent a 2-bedroom apartment here for under $600/month or a 3-bedroom townhome for under $700/month. I'm just guessing, but I'm thinking that for $600/month in NYC, that will rent you a 2'x3' closet..... ;)

[phistash]

Yeah I don't work in fashion either. I just work in an office in SoHo. If I understand correctly, my employer's HQ was there long before all the trendy shops.
I don't dislike working in SoHo, but srsly, you can't walk half a block without seeing someone who's trying to look like she just stepped out of Vogue magazine. ::eyeroll:: That, and every other pair of female feet you see is sporting Uggs. Ugh.



Uggs in Soho? I guess they aren't as fashion forward as they think they are, huh? Actually, they are probably wearing them to work, where they will change into 6" heels.

Oh, Soho. I love people-watching there, especially in warm weather at the cafes on West Broadway, where the young, rich, fabulous, and beautiful hang out. It really is fascinating.

Once, years ago, I got a pretty rude appraisal from a couple of shop girls outside of a boutique there. I was walking by, minding my own business, wearing a black tank top, jeans, and a simple pair of heels. Nothing out of the ordinary, but I was in a good mood, and I may have looked too happy for their taste, so they made a point of looking me up and down, looking at each other, and then remarking on my crappy fashion. Ha! Like I care.


NYC is definitely in a class by itself when it comes to cost of living.



For comparison, you can also rent a 2-bedroom apartment here for under $600/month or a 3-bedroom townhome for under $700/month. I'm just guessing, but I'm thinking that for $600/month in NYC, that will rent you a 2'x3' closet..... ;)

Heh.
But NYC isn't overpriced on everything. I've traveled enough to know that food here doesn't cost more than elsewhere in the States. Unless you are in tourist areas, like Times Square, or Central Park, where they charge like $4 for a small bottle of water. Get away from midtown and the tourist spots, and stay away from really trendy restaurants, and the food costs the same as in Georgia. Promise!

The same goes for most goods, like clothing and shoes. If you aren't buying all of your clothes at small boutiques, you won't spend more than people do everywhere else.

What you pay a premium for is space. That's why services, such as haircuts, can be so costly. The rent on that hairdresser's shop has to be paid somehow.

And while we complain about the MTA's constant fare hikes, I still only pay $90 a month in transportation costs. I have no car payments, no insurance premium, and no costly repairs to worry about. If I lived closer to work (I'm 12 miles away) I'd either walk or ride my bike every day, and eliminate even that $90.

This apologia is getting long. Sorry!

[GRU]

I notice you didn't disagree with me on the rental price for a closet! :lol:

[phistash]

I notice you didn't disagree with me on the rental price for a closet! :lol:

Ha! Well, I don't live in a closet, but I'm Brooklyn. In Manhattan, well, said closet would probably have to be shared with a family of mice and a cockroach or 20.

Allow me to tell the story of my old boss. She moved here for a well-paying job. Insisted on living in Manhattan. Found her own apt. on 29th Street just off 1st Avenue. It cost $1100 a month. She told us all about it, how cozy it was, how much she liked it. Then one afternoon, I have no memory of how or why, a few of us ended up at her building, and she invited us up for a quick look. Holy moly, that apartment was ridiculous. It was one room, apart from the bathroom, which was literally about the size of 2 airplane bathrooms and had the tiniest sink I've ever seen. It looked like a toy. I honestly didn't know they made porcelain sinks that small. The "kitchen" was really just 3 feet of one wall, where a toy stove and toy refrigerator and toy sink had been installed. She had enough room left over for a couple of armchairs (the living room, I presume), and, along the far wall, her bedroom furniture, which consisted of just her bed and dresser. And the building wasn't even nice, either, just a typical walk-up with dirty linoleum floors and the neighborhood drunks hanging out on the stoop.

That is why I don't live in Manhattan.

(I guess I am agreeing with you. :p)

[GRU]

Allow me to tell the story of my old boss. She moved here for a well-paying job. Insisted on living in Manhattan. Found her own apt. on 29th Street just off 1st Avenue.

I think I saw that listing before... yep, here it is: Is it an apartment or a prison cell? (http://lovelylisting.icanhascheezburger.com/2009/09/15/great-for-singles-open-plan/)

Or maybe it was this one (http://lovelylisting.icanhascheezburger.com/2010/02/02/funny-real-estate-nice-kitchen-2/)?

[phistash]

I think I saw that listing before... yep, here it is: Is it an apartment or a prison cell? (http://lovelylisting.icanhascheezburger.com/2009/09/15/great-for-singles-open-plan/)

Or maybe it was this one (http://lovelylisting.icanhascheezburger.com/2010/02/02/funny-real-estate-nice-kitchen-2/)?

LOL!!!!

Perhaps I should enquire to find out if my old boss is still alive?

But I think the Japanese have us beat:

http://blogd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/capsule-hotel.jpg

[GRU]

LOL!!!!

Perhaps I should enquire to find out if my old boss is still alive?

But I think the Japanese have us beat:

http://blogd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/capsule-hotel.jpg

Those capsule hotels are insane... might as well sleep on a bench in the bus station, if you ask me!

[kschr2004]

This one is great too!

http://lovelylisting.icanhascheezburger.com/2008/10/21/one-year-lease-with-time-off-for-good-behavior/

And more info on capsule hotels:

http://www.yesicanusechopsticks.com/capsule/

[phistash]

This one is great too!

http://lovelylisting.icanhascheezburger.com/2008/10/21/one-year-lease-with-time-off-for-good-behavior/

North 7th and Bedford. Of course.



And more info on capsule hotels:

http://www.yesicanusechopsticks.com/capsule/

Some choice quotes: Technically you could pay only Y1,200 for the sento and sleep in the lazy boy chairs as many people were doing.

There is a big red button that costs Y300 to press. That's the porn button.

[soopahgrover]

Ha. I was just killing time on Yelp. I wrote a nice review for the salon mentioned in that NYTimes article (way back from the original post in this thread!) and was checking up on it, seeing if anyone else had left a review, etc. I decided to search for other long hair salons in New York and found this talk thread (http://www.yelp.com/topic/brooklyn-good-salon-for-long-hair) where a woman is asking for recommendations on a salon for long hair. It's short, but here's a good quote: "Stylists on the East Coast are all part of a secret plot to give everyone a pixie cut within the next 5 years. I'd move if I were you."

LOL!

[HintOfMint]

Ha. I was just killing time on Yelp. I wrote a nice review for the salon mentioned in that NYTimes article (way back from the original post in this thread!) and was checking up on it, seeing if anyone else had left a review, etc. I decided to search for other long hair salons in New York and found this talk thread (http://www.yelp.com/topic/brooklyn-good-salon-for-long-hair) where a woman is asking for recommendations on a salon for long hair. It's short, but here's a good quote: "Stylists on the East Coast are all part of a secret plot to give everyone a pixie cut within the next 5 years. I'd move if I were you."

LOL!


That's so funny!

I'm also in the market for a hairdresser in NYC who won't get scissor happy with my hair, so I guess I'll have to live dangerously.