The Blurb
Neville is something of an institution. A go-to for those in the know, the salon first opened in the early 90s, quickly building a reputation for excellence and with it an exclusive list of discerning clientele.
Set in the heart of Belgravia, on Pont Street (now affectionately known as ‘Anya Hindmarch Avenue,’) Neville’s boasts five floors of extremely knowledgeable stylists and colourists – many of whom have trained under the salon’s programme and continue to work for Neville’s throughout their careers.
The Process
I’m greeted by the charming Kash and offered a warming mint tea whilst we talk through the prognosis. ‘I’m currently growing out a fringe’ I explain. I say ‘currently’… like many of us, I’m perpetually stuck in a moronic cycle of ‘get fringe / grow fringe out’. Kash suggests that a solution (that doesn’t involve lobotomy) might be to disguise it by blending the heavier pieces with fine layers. He decides that ‘dry cutting’ the face-framing area will help him to achieve a natural finish, so he gets to work on the front of my hair whilst I make a silent vow not to get another fringe until I’m seventy-five.
Next, Kash shampoos and conditions my hair before beginning the cut. To be honest, he moves so effortlessly through the next section, that I barely see his technique. But we chat as he works and Kash tells me how he, a second-generation stylist, followed in his father’s footsteps and moved to London five years ago from Trinidad and Tobago. Kash loves his new life in London, he tells me that he’s found community in his work and that the most important part is ‘making people happy’ and if he gets to do that seven or sometimes eight times a day then cutting hair is ‘a very satisfying job.’
The Results
I’m incredibly pleased with my layered cut. It’s light enough for summer without losing too much of the length.
It’s easy to see how Neville maintain their reputation for excellence… Not only are they dedicated in their mission to customer satisfaction, but they appear to be serious about reducing their carbon footprint. So much so that Neville’s have recently teamed up with Green Salon Collective, who are now recycling hair whilst developing hair boom and mat projects that could see waste hair soaking up an oil spill.
The Details
A cut and blowdry at Neville starts from £75
Neville Hair and Beauty, 5 Pont Street, Belgravia, London, SW1X 9EJ
020 7235 3654
