Neville’s is a name rooted in heritage and as a brand it’s known for a five-star approach to hair and customer service. In addition to our flagship Belgravia salon on Pont Street and a concession in the Bvlgari Spa, London, we’ve also had salons in St. Barts and Mykonos and are often the first port of call for fashion designers and other business owners who want to collaborate on fun, innovative projects. We have been located in Pont Street for 30 years and cover 6 floors. We employ 50 team members and look after 600 clients a week. We pride ourselves on serving an array of A-listers, but to us, it’s not just about our celebrity clients; every single client is an A-lister, whether they are 25 or 75. As a team we are all dedicated to making each client feel special when they leave the salon. We’ve also become known as a salon that can be relied upon to create completely new innovations and techniques; in 2017, we became the first salon to trademark a color technique called Palm PaintingTM, which went on to gain huge popularity worldwide. And we are constantly improving our offering. In 2019, we completely changed our beauty department to reflect just how swiftly and frequently the beauty industry changes. Neville is now open seven days a week following the launch of the blow-dry bar in January 2022. With Manes & Manis, Neville brings back the art of hairdressing and take blow dries back to basics. Knowing too well that there is not an easy way to become a hairdresser, you need passion, dedication and skills, the Neville team know they are turning the standard blow dry by taking away the heated tool appliances to provide clients with healthier blow dries.
AM: How would you describe your hair dressing style?
At Neville we are fortunate to have created a team who embraces our ethos of quality and attention to detail, while also expressing their own individual creative flair that sets them apart from the rest.
Color Director Domenico Casella, who works with every color type including henna, has a passion for organic coloring techniques and organic treatments for haircare, partnered with Philip Martin’s to be one of their Global Color ambassadors in October 2021. Domenico takes part in training Philip Martin salons around the world with the techniques he has developed.
Another key ambassadorship awarded to Neville was to Flavex Bernardino, hair treatment expert by Salvatore Cosmetics in March 2022. Flavex recently returned from Brazil where she was trained by highly skilled stylists and manufacturers on how to use the latest technology in hair including using LED lights in hair salons.
Creative Director Jack Merrick-Thirlway has continued to work with London’s elite models, socialites and celebrities over the last year and has styled the likes of Kelly Osbourne, Emma Weymouth, Kitty Spencer, Eliza Spencer, Amelia Spencer, Maye Musk, Meredith Mikelson, Claire Holt to name a few. Jack frequently styles celebrities for top UK publications and works on a number of fashion campaigns. Jack most recently headed the styling at the Julien Fournié and the Celia Kritharioti shows in Paris in January 2023.
Whilst the team members mentioned are vital to the salon, it would be remiss of us to forget the grass roots of our business. From the Reception team to the juniors to the cleaners, each part of the jigsaw puzzle is as important as the others – we couldn’t function without the team working together. When we returned from lockdown with our new vision, all the team were bought in and ready to work towards our aspirations.
AM: Where and how do your wonderful hair artists get their inspiration?
Much
of our team's inspiration comes from their various encounters and
travels worldwide. The team is composed of so many different backgrounds
and this multicultural melting pot enables us to keep an up-to-date
vision of the hair and beauty developments worldwide. Combine this with
our numerous partnerships with creative visionaries and our client's
input and we have a pretty good idea of what's next to come. I then
spend time brainstorming with the team and together we develop new and
unique techniques to propose to our clients.
AM: In your opinion, what are some must-have hair items and products that every woman needs to own at home?
I
truly believe that less is more when it comes to hair care at home. The
must have staples for any woman should include: A good Neville Hair and
Beauty wooden hairbrush. It was designed by my husband Neville to
prevent breakage and uses the best materials (wood and boar bristles)
for a gentle experience that doesn't compromise the heath of your hair. A
set of silk scrunchies. These are indispensable for tying your hair
back without it snagging and causing split ends. A gentle shampoo,
conditioner and hair mask for your specific hair type. Everyone's hair
needs are different so it's important to buy the correct products for
your individual needs. At Neville we offer after care consultations and
prescribe all our clients with the correct aftercare for them.
A powerful hairdryer - we retail these in the salon. Parlux is my
personal go-to. Its various heat settings are a savior when I'm on
holiday and can't have my hair done. It also comes with a diffuser,
which is a must for those who have curly hair. A heat protector, the
ultimate hair protection against daily aggressors and excessive heat.
Hair SPF, for those prone to basking in the sun.
AM: Tell us more about the latest trends in the industry?
At
Neville Hair and Beauty, more than focusing on trends, we aim to focus
on hair health, because in our opinion nothing looks better than healthy
hair. Everything we do is based on unleashing our client's full hair
potential, whether that be with the use of treatments, haircuts or
color. Once the hair is in its optimal condition, we start tweaking the
rest based on their desires. Our number one priority is ensuring the
client is fully satisfied with their hair as this will play a
fundamental role in boosting their confidence.
That said, here
are a few of the over-riding trends our team have highlighted: The bob
haircut will continue to be the haircut of choice for 2023, but with a
fringe. Any kind of fringe goes, baby, long or parted in the middle. The
fringe is what will make the bob look different next year. The Bixie
haircut, which is a mix between the bob and pixie haircut will also gain
momentum amongst the bravest of us. Illuminated brunette, which is a
brown color base with a warm colored under tone, making hair look its
best with an extremely shiny finish. The ultimate brunette, which moves
away from the flat all over color. Instead, by adding different tones
you help lift and illuminate the client's natural color. Whether you
prefer caramel, bronze or golden hues the most important thing to
remember is that the complimentary color addition should be subtle to
create the illuminated effect. Jet Black hair is proving particularly
popular at the moment due to a combination of factors. The first is the
recent release of the Wednesday Adams series on Netflix. Then we have
the resurgence of the #vampylook on Tik Tok, and finally, the Grammy
Awards red carpet with many celebrities like Doja Cat and Hannah Monds
opting for dark haired looks.
AM: Jack Merrick Thirlway and
Neville Tucker have taken care of the models’ hair in our magazine’s
bridal fashion editorial. We know that you have been collaborating with
Julien Fournié on many Haute Couture runway shows. How did you meet him
and how do you work together?
Funnily enough our first encounter
took place in Singapore during the Fide Fashion Week back in 2012. At
the time Neville was the hair partner for the entirety of the shows
taking place under Fide Fashion Week and we had the immense privilege
of meeting and working with Julien Fournié. Needless to say, it was love
at first sight. We both felt there was a really strong artistic
connection and made a point to connect upon our return to Europe. 10
years down the line, we feel more connected than ever and continue to
work on a variety of different projects together spanning fashion shows,
editorial shoots and other magical partnerships, which will unveil in
months to come.
AM: Your team also takes care of hairstyling
for many fashion weeks’ runway shows and events such as the Cannes Film
Festival. Why are you getting involved in these events and what do you
get out of this experience?
Ultimately everything we do at
Neville is for the love of our clients. By participating in various
prestigious events such as the Cannes Film Festival and fashion weeks
around the world, I am enabling my team to achieve greater results.
It boosts their moral, because they feel pride participating in these
events which otherwise would not be accessible to them and many get to
meet A-listers for whom they have great esteem. They sometimes even get
to their hair, which is not only a huge honor for them but also gives
added kudos to the stylist and their clients. This combined with the
beautiful settings and locations they get to work in, helps boost their
creativity. Working in a salon day in and day out can be static as you
can be limited in terms of creativity, whereas at these events, they are
really given the freedom to explore hair at the next level. When the
team then return to the salon, they are re-invigorated and clients are
extremely perceptive to that, which benefits all parties involved.
AM: In your opinion, why is a hairstylist indispensable in a woman’s life?
Studying
psychology at university taught me firsthand the importance of
understanding an individual’s needs and tastes and business is no
different. In order to provide a good service to our clients we need to
understand them and their needs. Once we have this understanding, we can
do what we love doing and what I call personality matchmaking. For
those wondering, I don’t run a dating company on the side, rather I try
to pair each client with a stylist whose personality will resonate with
them. Personality matchmaking is a key aspect of the business for me. I
truly believe that enabling a great rapport between the stylist and the
client will create great results and will ultimately make the client
feel good and happy. I like to spend time developing relationships with
my clients and learning more about them, it allows me to create suitable
matches to give each client the experience they deserve. Feel good
factor aside, in my opinion stylists are an indispensable ally to every
woman, particularly when they are matched based on personality. Not only
will it make every visit more enjoyable, but it will also enable the
stylist and client to develop a strong relationship based on trust. By
having that trusted figure available to you, you can take away hours of
frustration trying to do your hair at home alone.
