OC 61 Salon and Spa

Profile

Its plum-hued details, rosy lighting, and East Sixties digs embody upscale sophistication, but OC 61 is more like one big house party. At any given time, most or all of the six stations in the salon's close-quartered third-floor cutting room are in use, with chatting stylists, the steady hum of hairdryers, and a blaring radio; in the back, colorists work more quietly, but are no less upbeat. Most energetic of all is proprietress Louise O'Connor, a cheery Irish-born stylist who dons rock-star T-shirts and says her favorite looks are those that are "not so polished." O'Connor, who trained extensively with Oribe, has worked with stars (Beyoncé, Naomi Campbell, Dido, Kim Cattrall) and on fashion shows (Gucci, Versace, Victoria's Secret), and has culled staff members with equally high-profile backgrounds, many of whom she knows from her Oribe days. One floor down, the three-room OC 61 spa is far more tranquil than the lively salon. O'Connor plucked her personal favorites—her facialist and her massage therapist from Equinox—and brought them on board to perform everything from attentive pedicures to facials using fresh, custom-made ingredients. In warmer months, spa clients relax before or after their treatments on the large homey terraces in back of the townhouse. — Kate Jacobs