Best hair salons in NYC 2022

The credibility for any hair salon lies in its client roster. Polished Bergdorf blondes lean on John Barrett; bombshell supermodels put their highlights in the hands of Jenna Perry. And for those mysterious downtown characters with ineffably cool undone hair, a narrow white-washed salon tucked away on East 7th Street has become a kind of mecca. Since 2007, Blackstones has served It girls who induce seismic vibe shifts by simply leaving the house. “We specialize in street hair,” says the salon’s founder and lead stylist Joey Silvestera over coffee in the East Village on a recent winter afternoon. 

Joey SilvesteraPhoto: Courtesy of Ryan Duffin

Under Silvestera’s humble direction and deft scissor work, word of mouth recommendations brought fashion designers, writers, architects, painters, and actresses through the salon doors—a rolodex that has grown to include Lynn Yaeger, Chloe Sevigny, Leigh Lezark, Hamish Bowles and Ricky Saiz among other fashion icons who defy the boundaries of the eras they define. Each came for what Sevigny described over the phone as the stylists’ abilities to “make the best of what you have,” zeroing in on an individual’s texture, silhouette and sartorial style to deliver personalized wash-and-go ease. “It’s the chillest environment. There’s not the fancy-handbag atmosphere, no snobbery and just good music.” 

Habitués arrived in droves, hung out, and formed a cult following for Blackstones’ own product line, Five Wits (Sevigny has sworn by the Moisture Shampoo and Hydrate Conditioner for years. Dylan Penn is so dedicated to the multitasking Hair Cream, she keeps one in her purse). And, as of today, the advice and product endorsements once exclusively traded between stylists and clients behind the chair are being made public with the launch of the Blackstones Collective, a website, Instagram feed, and in-salon store populated exclusively by tips and treasures enthusiastically chosen by the salon’s community. 

The salon at BlackstonesPhoto: Courtesy of Max Burkhalter

Just past the salon’s entrance, sage-painted arches contain a downtown New Yorker’s dream beauty closet, the contents of which will change monthly to address seasonal desires and offer an element of surprise. At the moment, Cire Trudon’s sophisticated and warm orange blossom candle, Odalisque, is placed alongside a handmade Italian hairbrush beloved by Supreme co-head designer Saiz and plush velvet hair clips tracked down on Etsy by Vogue contributing editor Yaeger. “I love things that are made by talented individuals, not huge corporations,” writes Yaeger over email while flitting between European shows for fashion week. The smartly bottled white moss-spiked shaving foam favored by Vogue Fashion News Director Mark Holgate shares shelf space with the face cream Dylan Penn relies on to color correct and plump her complexion. “I was introduced to [it] through a boyfriend. He was a bit older than me and had really amazing skin, which for men is rare,” says Penn of Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream, which she started sampling at her ex’s place. “I’ve always taken care of my skin, and I’m not of the belief that you need to spend hundreds of dollars to have great skin. I’m a drugstore girl. But I’ve never seen [such] a dramatic difference.” She’s since hooked her mom and friends on the formula—and without a doubt soon innumerable New Yorkers. 

The Blackstones Collective interiorPhoto: Courtesy of Max Burkhalter

Sevigny, who has made Blackstones regulars out of her brother, sister-in-law, nephews, and husband, requested the Collective stock Little Flower, the perfume she created with her friends  Alia Raza and Ezra Woods of Régime des Fleurs. “It’s a very dewy, crisp fresh take on rose,” she says. “I always had a thing for rose. This one has really complicated notes but still smells very crisp, which I like in the dirty streets of New York.” You can find it next to a toothpaste so beautiful, Sevigny has given it to friends as a birthday gift. “Who doesn’t need a beautiful toothpaste?”

In addition to the Five Wits range, hair-care products include only “all stars” that each stylist twists and mists into the strands of their own buzz-worthy clients. “Every product has a story,” promises Silvestera, ones that will be revealed by their referrer in monthly profiles and videos, shot by friend and filmmaker Rachel Fleit. As with everything Blackstones, Sevigny notes, “It’s a family affair.”

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