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John Frieda
Critics' Pick
797 Madison Ave.,
New York, NY 10021
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Nearby Subway Stops
6 at 68th St.-Hunter College
Payment Methods
American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Profile
This venue is closed.
With a roster of insanely celebrated stylists, John Frieda's salons offer cuts and color that are about as skilled as they come. Stylist Serge Normant, who took the helm at the Meatpacking-District salon in 2007, is Julia Roberts' go-to guy; he's also available for those of us who aren't tabloid fodder for the week. At 76th Street, colorist Sharon Dorram-Krause helps Renee Zellweger and Kate Hudson—as well as a battalion of fashionistas, socialites, and editors—go buttery blonde; with her art-school background and perfectly pulled-together look, she also helps set the sophisticated, not snooty, tone at the salon. Though related, the locations operate as separate entities: 76th Street is smaller, airy, bright, oozing with understated elegance, and surprisingly hushed given that Dorram-Krause sees about thirty clients a day. You can get a manicure, sip tea, and let your highlights set here simultaneously. On Madison Avenue, space is more abundant—two stories house the fourteen stylists and eight colorists handpicked by Normant—and the clientele more varied. "We get people from downtown quite frequently," says Normant, referring to both south of 14th Street and south of the Mason-Dixon: Many of his clients fly in from Texas and Georgia for the day to keep their standing appointments.
ExtraSally Hershberger, of the famously studied Meg Ryan "my-hair-just-looks-like-this" sexy shag, is also associated with the brand; she's one of the inventors of Frieda's super-successful product line, which includes everyone's summer staple, Frizz-Ease.