Chris Vaughn, a John Allan's barber & stylist, at work on Andrew Asch

Chris Vaughn, a John Allan's barber & stylist, at work on Andrew Asch

MEN'S SALON ON THE SALES FLOOR

John Allan's Close Shave at Saks

Saks Fifth Avenue renovated its men store in Beverly Hills earlier this year. But there’s no sales racks to be seen on half of the store’s first floor area. Rather, the space is devoted to a salon called John Allan’s. And like everything else in Saks, it offers exclusives and special service.

At Saks Beverly Hills and its 7 other locations, John Allan’s offers an entry into a world of Rolls Royce haircuts, detailed shaves with a straight razor, manicures, shoeshines and even expensive beer.

photo

Andrew under the hot towel. Picture by Chris Vaughn

Businesses putting together salons and fashion boutiques are on the increase. Also offering cuts and clothes are independent retailers in downtown Los Angeles such as The Well and Industry DTLA, both of which opened in the past year. The mix seems to be working. John Allan’s is on the move. The New York-headquartered salon recently opened a new location at another fashion retailer. This one is located at the John Varvatos boutique in San Francisco.

Yours truly figures in this blog too. I’m a guy who typically doesn’t go beyond $25 haircuts. But I was offered John Allan’s full service. Intrigued and desperate for a good haircut, I took the offer to get fabulous. Here’s a bit of what happened, The manicurist asked if I was a nailbiter, (guilty) ,Chris Vaughn of John Allan’s described the finer points of shaving, then proceeded to give me cheeks that have not been this smooth since before puberty. He also found a way to give honest shape and character to this balding head. That took time and skill. Thanks Chris.

photo

So Fresh, So Clean.