David Mallett is bringing his signature brand of Parisian-chic hairdressing to New York.
Mallett, an Australian native whose taxidermy-filled eponymous salon in the Second Arrondissement is something of a fashion insider institution in Paris, is set to open a third location — his first in the U.S. and first outside Paris — on the top floor of Laure Hériard Dubreuil’s The Webster in SoHo, on Oct. 16.
The 1,600-square-foot space will operate as a full-service, eight-chair salon, with color, cutting, styling and treatment services overseen by Mallett himself and staffed by longtime employees of his Paris salons, including two hairdressers, two colorists and a client director. Mallett, who opened his second outpost at The Ritz Paris in 2016, will split his time between New York and Paris going forward.
The salon on the fifth floor of The Webster was designed by French architect Charles Zana to replicate the style of Mallett’s Paris salons, which are inspired by French-style craftsmanship. Lamps, furniture and other decor were custom-made for The Webster by François Pouenat, a fifth-generation French artisan metalworker. In a nod to his native Australia, Mallett partnered with Australia-based Dinosaur Designs’ Louise Olsen on accent pieces. Mallett purposefully to designed the New York space to mimic the ambience of his French salons, taking “every single floorboard and light switch from France. For clients who are used to visiting the salon in Paris, expect no surprises.
“The idea of coming to New York was not to open a franchise and staff it with New York people,” said Mallett. “It’s to reproduce what we do in Paris — our sense of style, the way we operate…there’s a personal sense to my staff. They’re down to earth. I like the way they speak to people, and they have an eye for beauty.”
Mallett’s salons are favored by many in the fashion industry, but he has a host of serious celebrity clientele, including Natalie Portman, Marion Cotillard, Diane Kruger and Penélope Cruz.
He is known for an individualist approach to hair, which he refers to as “very French,” and intends to keep it that way for his first American salon. Said Mallett: “We’re in no way making an effort to adapt our formula [to the market].”
Mallett’s self-named line of hair-care and styling products, which retail for $40 to $75, will be sold at the salon.