My bucket list mostly contains items that involve travel and money, or require several stars to be aligned. One such item is to get my hair cut by a celebrity stylist. I have long been enthralled by the idea of giving my hair over to someone trusted by the world's elite, to see its potential and bring out my inner rock chick, whom I keep hidden under a shield of straight, shoulder-length dark hair and a heavy fringe.
Thanks to cosmic intervention, I had the opportunity to meet Rossano Ferretti at the opening of his hair spa in Abu Dhabi, his second in the UAE, as well as a personal consultation and cut with him. Located in a villa on Al Karamah Street, the chic venue is done up in wood and warm-grey tones, and includes a coffee shop. The lighting is bright without feeling harsh, and the furniture and display cases of hair products and nail varnish seem more like artwork organic to the decor. The salon offers a range of treatments including nail care, waxing, threading, facials and massages.
The opening of Ferretti’s 22nd hair spa is the latest chapter in a career that spans decades and that put him in the international spotlight due to the innovative technique he developed with his sister, Lorenza, called The Method, which takes into consideration the intrinsic nature of each person’s hair, based on elements such as its texture and fall, to bring out its natural beauty. To that end, Ferretti’s patented scissors take off just 18 per cent of the hair and produce the so-called Invisible haircut, which is bespoke to each client, and doesn’t replicate styles, trends or a picture you find on Pinterest.
For a stylist who generally charges Dh4,500 a cut, and whose clients include the Duchess of Cambridge and Angelina Jolie, Ferretti’s big smile and warm “ciao!” make me feel at ease and as important as one of his regular A-listers. I feel even more special when he tells me that he only cuts hair at launch events, preferring to spend his time training his "Method directors" to do the same at his salons around the world and for all types of hair.
“What is your hair dream?” he asks me, as he runs his hands around my head, inspecting my hair by lifting it and letting it fall, and getting to know what he has to work with. I tell him I am open to his ideas, but that I have recently grown my hair out and would be happy to keep the length. He agrees and says: “I’ll give you some volume and movement. You can’t get that with this,” gesturing to my straight tresses.
Using long, fluid strokes, Ferretti begins slicing through my hair, creating layers from sharp angles. I am immediately reminded of what Michelangelo said about every stone having a statue inside it, and that it is the job of the sculptor to chip away at the superfluous stone. With each broad shear, I feel that inner rock chick begin to appear and my own facial features become brighter and more pronounced. Soon, I am no longer hiding under my armour.
Following a blow-dry by a stylist using Ferretti’s signature products, my look is complete and I feel more like myself than I have since relying on trends, and then giving up and letting my hair grow out. “You are now one of few women in the whole world with this Method cut,” he says, when I thank him for the experience. Already convinced that I will keep up with my new look, I ask Ferretti when he'll be back in Abu Dhabi. He assures me that his stylists in the capital, as in all of his hair spas, have the same standards and vision as he does and will be able to help me maintain my style.
Bucket list item checked. Now to see the aurora borealis from an ice hotel.
The Rossano Ferretti Hair Spa is open from 9am to 9pm, from Sundays to Thursdays; and noon to 8pm on Fridays. Hair cuts cost from Dh450. Call 02 645 3313 or visit www.rossanoferretti.com
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Read more
[ ‘You cannot modify hair’ – Rossano Ferretti brings his organic haircuts to the UAE ]
[ No point fighting curly hair when it’s humid, and other tips by Sally Hershberger ]
[ UAE makes itself over as a comestics hotspot ]
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