Forges is a genius cartoonist from Spain. In one of his vignettes a woman is surprised with the news of a global economic crisis, and the first thing she thinks about is her hair. When faced with a situation, our instinct usually makes us bring our hands to our heads. The next step is to worry about the way our hair looks, which unless we have a good stylist at hand, almost always looks disastrous. Notice that I said “stylist,” and not “hairdresser.” Hairdressing is old fashioned. Now we go to the “stylist.” Stuart Phillips salon.In the web page of famous London stylist Stuart Phillips there is a list of awards, nominations and other acknowledgements. His clients, all of them big celebrities, say of him: “Stuart is my answer to every bad hair day” (actress Dervla Kirwan). His client list includes Janice Dickinson, Caprice, Brigitte Neilsen, Chris Noth (Sex & The City), Ronnie Woods, Beverly Knight, Micha Paris, David Seaman, Jamie Oliver, Jaime Murray, Jonathan Ross, Ivana Trump, Jane Krakouski, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Aloud Girls and The Hoff. What he offers is sophistication and lifestyle, a complete service of haircuts and hairdos, coloring and styling techniques, opulence and unsurpassed standards. Stuart Phillips salon.Going to the Stuart Phillips salon, which is decorated with 23,000 Swarovski crystals, is like visiting an art gallery with auspicious and surprising works. Stuart Phillips salon.It is located opposite the exclusive Covent Garden hotel in London.Here you will find the list of services and prices: www.stuartphillips.co.ukThey sound reasonable; however, Mr. Stuart Phillips is listed in the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records for the most expensive haircut: $16,420 (£ 8000). Rumor has it he even surpassed that mark, charging nearly $25,000.
Location: Covent Garden Salon, London, United Kingdom.
Date: October 29, 2007. The person that made the appointment was Beverley Lateo from Pisa, Italy.
The bill included, in addition to the stylistic talents of the artist, a haircut, lunch with champagne, a head and scalp massage, a selection of L’Oreal products and treatments, and of course, a return trip by limousine to the airport.
As a result, frequenting the right salons and stylists is like belonging to an exclusive club; and is part of a unique lifestyle. ■