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Every era’s pop culture is improved by a heartthrob hairdresser. Frédéric Fekkai has been inhabiting the role for going on two decades now. While he’s perfectly cast—he’s French, mysterious, and has a penchant for billionaire girlfriends—Fekkai is no coiffeur du jour. He knows what women want from a salon: a half-day of luxury that results in a flattering hairstyle with a touch of trendiness. From well-heeled coeds and out-of-towners to haughty matrons who affect sunglasses indoors, a diverse clientele occupies the 44 chairs of his revamped salon and spa, located inside Henri Bendel. The space sprawls across a full floor of the department store, with areas for cut and color, cabin-like private stations for mani/pedis, and private rooms for facials and waxing; four barber chairs comprise the men's wing, L'Atelier de Frédéric. Surrounded by wood floors and walls and angular, dark-wood stations, Monsieur’s well-trained protégés deliver his subtly layered cuts and face-brightening color. (On the master's periodic visits to the salon, he tends to be trailed by a film crew or sequestered behind a curtain with, say, Beyonce or Heidi Klum.) Laura Mercier, Caudalie, and MD Skincare products are used for facials; Fekkai’s high-quality haircare products are available for purchase in the retail area, which is equipped with a Mac for clients to check email while waiting. — Karen Tina Harrison

For a treat, sign up for the Provence Escapade package: Beauté de Provence facial and massage, haircut, style, manicure, and makeup application.

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Featured In

• Frédéric Fekkai Opens in Soho (2/5/07)