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The Lock Masters


Illustration by Camille Roman  
  • Blonde Hair

  • Greg Ruggeri, Ruggeri NYC

    153 W. 18th St., nr. Eighth Ave. 212-229-2094

    From his loungey two-chair lair, Aussie transplant Ruggeri whips up perplexingly natural-looking highlights, from icy blonde to caramel (from $200). And he can expertly transform previous color mishaps into born-with-it blonde strands, too.


Illustration by Camille Roman  
  • Brunette

  • Lena Ott, ION Studio

    41 Wooster St., nr. Broome St. 212-343-9060

    The color wizard (Lady Gaga has been a client) has recently begun concentrating on brunettes (from $125). Her disciples include model of the moment Britt Maren, whom Ott took straight from platinum to rich dark chocolate last month.


Illustration by Camille Roman  
  • Red

  • Victoria Hunter, Whittemore House Salon

    45 Grove St., nr. Bleecker St. 212-242-8880

    Something of an artist of the most fickle color, Hunter uses a special hair-painting technique to create a range of reds from candy-apple to copper to burgundy that miraculously manage to still look good even as they fade (from $120).


Illustration by Camille Roman  
  • Curly Hair

  • Miko and Titi Branch, Miss Jessie’s Salon

    441 Broadway, nr. Grand St. 212-966-5600

    Bed-Stuy’s Branch sisters have brought their “Angle/Balance” technique of dry-curl cutting to a new space in Soho (from $350).


Illustration by Camille Roman  
  • Straightening

  • Sam Brocato, Sam Brocato Salon

    42 Wooster St., nr. Grand St. 212-334-3777

    The Gossip Girl–name-checked Brocato’s new Curlinterrupted Smoothing System is a highly effective alternative to formaldehyde straighteners. It’s so gentle that stylists need not wear gloves to apply it (from $350).


Illustration by Camille Roman  
  • Pixie Cut

  • Jordan Blackmore, Three Squares Studio

    444 W. 17th St., nr. Tenth Ave. 917-847-3384

    An ultraversatile cutter (and colorist; he famously took Marc Jacobs blue), Blackmore has a knack for tricky, supershort chops (from $225).


Illustration by Camille Roman  
  • Men’s Cut

  • Persons of Interest

    299 Smith St., nr. Union St., Carroll Gardens; 718-858-5300

    Steve Marks’s reboot of Sal’s barbershop kept the kitschy décor while ramping up the scissor-wielding talent (stylists from Spiff and Deluxe moonlight here). Plus cuts (from $40) come with free beer.

From the 2011 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine