Nomads for Hire

Illustration by Laurie Rosenwald

From Los Angeles
The Brow Sculptor
Since moving from New York to L.A. in 2005, Kristie Streicher has maintained a stable of loyal locals addicted to her trademark feathered brow—a thicker shape that fans out in the middle and ends with a “diffused tail,” which she claims draws attention away from dark circles and other imperfections. On first-time clients, she uses vegetable dye to fill in sparse areas, then applies argan oil to make tweezing less painful during the 30-minute process ($200). Streicher will then teach you how to maintain the bushier brows yourself, as she is only in town about once a season.
Next visit: August 19–29; e-mail ­kstreicher@gmail.com to book.

From Dubai
The Foot Fixer
After a ski accident left Frenchman Bastien Gonzalez in need of a podiatrist, he decided to become one himself. Now he bounces between his home in Dubai, his office in Paris, and New York, offering hour-long medical pedicures ($250) that reshape nails, remove corns and calluses, and moisturize brittle talons. His own “pearly” paste evens out texture and buffs nails to a natural, shiny finish. Then he massages up to the knee to improve circulation and increase muscle-and-joint mobility for ­stiletto- or brogue-ravaged feet.
Next visit: June 20–23; e-mail contact@bastiengonzalez.com to book.

From Los Angeles
The Celebrity Colorist
As the expert who tends to the television-ready locks of Heidi Klum and Kerry Washington, colorist Corinne Adams hops between coasts depending on where the actresses are shooting. She sees regular folks, too, at the Serge Normant at John Frieda salon in the meatpacking district; classic highlights and lustrous single-process are her specialty (from $150, with consultation and appointment usually lasting at least two hours). She’s also known to give a mean blowout ($65).
Next visit: now through June 30; call 212-879-1000, ext. 2 to book.

From Dallas
The Interiors Whiz
Though she lives full time in Dallas, Alice Cottrell is often in New York trawling boutiques and flea markets for her clients—and taking appointments while she’s at it. They come to her (and pay $165 per hour) for a warm aesthetic; typically, Cottrell’s homes include custom, down-filled upholstery, along with pops of playful color and vintage pieces that work just as well in McMansions as they do in cramped Brooklyn pads. Following a consultation (for the same fee), her services include commissioning furniture, choosing paint colors, sourcing lighting and art, buying and upholstering vintage wares, and tying it all together in a pleasing floor plan.
Next visit: June 11; e-mail alice@alicecottrellinteriordesign.com to book.

From London
The Bespoke Shoemaker
Keith McNally, Tom Wolfe, and ­Gargantuan-hooved basketball players snap up appointments with top U.K. custom shoemaker G. J. Cleverley whenever its team is in town. Newbies have their feet traced on a sheet of paper, which is later turned into a 3-D map and, eventually, two beechwood lasts—wooden models of your feet used to mold leather—allowing for lifetime reordering. They browse more than 100 styles of brogues, boots, and monk straps in just as many swatches, from calfskin to suede to exotics like ostrich (pairs start at $1,600). To ensure a perfect fit, measurements happen at two separate appointments—meaning your first order might not arrive until six or eight months after the initial consultation.
Next visit: September 25–30; e-mail george@­gjcleverley.co.uk to book.

From Paris
The Braid Whisperer
Before “braid bars” became a thing, Rubi Jones—a Paris-based editorial stylist trained at Bumble and bumble in New York and known for her ­flattering braiding techniques—would schedule private appointments while visiting New York for Fashion Week. Lately, she has taken up residence every few months at ­different salons downtown and in Brooklyn—including Nolita’s Poppy and Williamsburg’s Little Axe—to weave messy double fishtails, allover crown-toppers, and other styles. She focuses on face shape and is happy to teach tricks that can be emulated at home. Clients are asked to come with “one-day dirty haire” and book appointments weeks in advance.
Next visit: September 3–11; e-mail popuphair@gmail.com to book.

From Hong Kong
The Affordable Custom Tailor
Hong Konger Noni Chullani visits New York every six weeks with 10,000 swatches (plaids, poplins, and oxfords) in tow. An extensive measuring process accounts for posture and body asymmetry. All items are sewn in Shanghai, hand-checked by Chullani’s team, and arrive in six to eight weeks, often at prices that beat department stores and New York’s own bespoke guys (shirts from $70, pants from $150, suits from $550). Women’s pieces like suits, jackets, and blouses cost about the same but are offered in more feminine fabrics—silk wool, linen, charmeuse—and, usually, ladies are asked to bring an item they already like so the tailor can mimic or enhance its fit. Not to worry about the overseas construction: When you’re a first-time customer, Chullani sends a garment in progress to confirm the fit before running the full order.
Next visit: early July; e-mail nchulani@netvigator.com to book.

From London
The High-End Custom Tailor
Wall Street kingpins and C-suite businesswomen flock to Savile Row stalwart Dege-Skinner—one of two family-run businesses that still work from Britain’s famed stretch of tailors—whenever its team lands in New York (three times a year). Suits and shirts don’t come cheap (from around $5,300 for the former and $270 for the latter), but all are made with luxurious fabrics like sea-island cotton and cashmere, then sewn in London; each hand-canvassed jacket requires up to 50 man-hours to complete. Bespoke overcoats take slightly less time (about 40 hours). Thankfully, appointments with master cutters last just 60 minutes.
Next visit: October 2–5; e-mail enquiries@dege-skinner.co.uk to book.

From London
The Skin Tightener
Many of this facial and massage therapist’s clients are so high-profile that they don’t want to be seen in salons. So London-based Nichola Joss goes to their homes or invites them to a Soho or midtown hotel suite for hour-and-a-half customized treatments (from $375). On the body, it’s typically some form of lymphatic massage to jump-start the immune system while removing knots and kinks. Her face technique is a bit more ­outré: She massages inside your mouth (yes, she uses gloves) to vigorously and painfully improve the texture of muscle tissue (like Pilates for your cheekbones), then prescribes essential oils to make your face look and feel healthier.
Next visit: June 15–19, plus July and August; e-mail jossbeauty@gmail.com to book.

From Santa Monica
The Therapeutic Yogi
Participants in Santa Monican teacher Jennifer Pastiloff’s Manifestation Yoga class ($50; $45 for PureYoga members) wait months for a once-a-season therapy-and-yoga experience that combines traditional moves like standing poses and inversions with singing, dancing, and sharing out loud; a wine tasting follows the two-and-a-half-hour session. Unlike other classes that might center on silent Ashtanga or Vinyasa, this class encourages students to work together and even become pals. Pastiloff tends to attract mostly women, but men are welcome, too.
Next visit: October 12–13; call 212-877-2025 to book.

From Maui
The Meditation Man
Former New York resident Will Dalton—an Australian who now splits his time between Los Angeles and Maui—gave up instructing yoga to learn Vedic meditation, a calming discipline where one sits quietly, with eyes closed, in order to turn off the brain for twenty minutes twice a day to reduce stress. He now teaches it privately to sleep-deprived, type-A executives (who shell out $6,000 for private lessons) and in five-day public courses (sliding-scale fees range from $500 to $2,500). Both levels include lifetime follow-up consultations with Dalton and an all-access pass to future meetings, events, and seminars to update and improve technique.
Next visit: June 23; visit newyorkmeditation.com to book.

From Houston
The Volumizer
From his hometown perch at Tre Spa in Houston, Trey Gillen is an expert at tressing overprocessed hair. By riffing on classic, not-too-edgy cuts and mixing in “rich, robust color,” Gillen creates styles that respond well to a blowout, some mousse, and plenty of hair spray. He notes that Texas “big hair” and New York “big hair” are “two different things,” and attracts a clientele that includes Broadway actresses and uptown matriarchs who know him from decades ago, when he worked at Garren on Fifth Avenue. Now they trek to Williamsburg’s Woodley & Bunny, where he takes up residence every six to nine weeks.
Next visit: June 16–21; call 718-218-6588 to book.

From Los Angeles
The SoulCycle Evangelist
When SoulCycle wanted to expand to the West Coast a few years ago, it transplanted Tisch-educated actor and spinning trainer Roarke Walker to teach at its West Hollywood location. Around L.A., he’s regarded as one of the most motivating instructors, perhaps, as fitness blogs have enthusiastically noted, because of how good-looking he is. Or because fans love his soundtrack of pop remixes and old-school hip-hop, to which he encourages a ride-to-the-beat strategy, correcting the form of each participant as he or she goes. He returns to New York quarterly, always with a long waiting list of diehards who remember him fondly from the company’s early days.
Next visit: July 4–7; visit soul-cycle.com to book.

From Los Angeles
The Bronzifier
Though she prefers the term “skin-finisher,” Angeleno Fiona Locke is essentially a high-end human airbrusher, working with the St. Tropez line of faux tanners to sun-kiss her customers. The process starts with determining your desired color level, followed by a full-body spray tan and then contouring—using paintbrushes or her fingers—to highlight cleavage and abs (existent or otherwise) or make calves appear more toned. Unlike a one-size-fits-all machine or tanning bed, the 45-minute process ($150) adds realistic dimension to the finished look, which lasts about a week and won’t stain your bedsheets.
Next visit: July 8–14; visit fionalockestudio.com to book.

From Denver, Berlin, & Beyond
The Cult Tattooists
In addition to being one of the city’s premier inking spots, New York Adorned sets itself apart from its competitors thanks to a robust guesting program, which brings the best inkers from around the world to the East Village. Coming up: Marie Sena of Dedication Tattoo in Denver (June 3–14), who creates beautiful, pirate-like portraits; Andrew Giulimondi of London’s cult studio the Family Business (June 16–19), offering gnarly-looking animals in vibrant colors; and Valetin Hirsch of AKA Berlin (July 15–20), known for his intricate black work, often rendered in tessellating geometric shapes. And butterflies, too.
Next visit: Ongoing; price quotes upon consultation. 47 Second Ave., nr. 2nd St.; 212-473-0007.

From London
The Small-Batch Facialist
As the on-set skincare expert for Skyfall and the beauty maven behind Gwyneth Paltrow and Emily Blunt’s pristine complexions, Amanda Lacey comes to the Lowell Hotel on the Upper East Side every three or four months via London, where her Chelsea atelier has a long waiting list and luxury-level pricing. Her consultation and hour-long facial ($540) eschews lasers or newfangled tech toys for her own tonics—some of which she sells in person at her appointments, from around $100—that balance the skin using essential oils like sage and eucalyptus and plant-derived extracts like rose and chamomile. Another signature: a vigorous massage with her bare hands and a hot paste that sloughs off skin made exclusively for her by her English chemist from a secret recipe.
Next visit: September 10-13; email newyork@amandalacey.com to book.

Nomads for Hire