Goodbye mum and dad (tear), goodbye sis (two tears), goodbye friends (crying now), goodbye hairdresser (sound of sobbing). Yep, when I left home, I was most upset to wave my hairdresser goodbye…
Well, not really, but my point is hair is important. It’s on your head, all the time (well, unless you’re bald). You can’t decide to wear it one day and not the next. It needs to look good. I make a good point don’t I? (*Nod head*.) And so finding a good hairdresser can feel like finding the perfect lover: they know what you like, and they do it – and my hair can be difficult to please.
Therefore it has been with some trepidation that I have tried out various hairdressers since I have moved to London, but I am happy to say I have finally found a new love.
LukeJacob Salon in Spitalfields has the vibe of a traditional east-end hair salon. It’s actually only been open a year, but owner Luke’s family arrived in east London back in 1912 in the form of his great granddad, Jacob – hence the salon’s name. Luke’s also a big fan of the East End and he uses local suppliers wherever possible, which has built a real sense of community around the salon.
Perched on the edge of bustling Commercial Street, I was greeted like an old friend by Luke as soon as I walked in. Settling me in with a glass of wine, he asked how I like to wear my hair, what products I use, how much (or little) styling I do and so on. He then suggested a change to the structure of my hair to help it fall better, as I always had trouble ‘making’ it do what I wanted it to.
After a wash, gorgeous head massage, plenty of snips, a blow dry and a good-old chat – the kind you only ever have with your hairdresser, from the weather to putting the world to rights – I walk out with a freshened-up style, which has indeed been easier to maintain but thankfully isn’t totally different from the style I always got with my beloved ex-hairdresser.
Talking of whom, if you’re reading this, it’s over, I’ve moved on. Sorry.
LukeJacob Ltd
80 Commercial Street, Spitalfields, E1 6LY
Tube: Aldgate East or Liverpool Street
020 7247 0078
