“My passion is making my clients look and feel their best. It is what I love to do…making people feel confident, beautiful, sexy and full of life.” – Paul Labrecque
With approximately 7,770 hair salons and counting, 35% of the nation’s hair salons, New York City has earned its bonafides as a world beauty capital. In other words, in NYC we know how to do hair. If you throw a pin in a vibrant corner of any borough, you’ll find numerous salons, spas, and other beauty meccas, as well as the professionals who twirl the curling irons and extract those congested pores. In the ebb and flow of trends and treatments that power the city’s beauty economy many come and go. Whether the $700 hair cut or the fastest keratin in the LES is the most sought after service, the longevity that comes from expertise and not riding trends too hard is the secret sauce for surviving in the beautysphere.
With a combination of technical and business expertise, a tasteful evergreen eye, and carefully curated products, on the ultra chic corner shared by Louis Vuitton and Bergdorf Goodman, the Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa, under the creative direction of founder Paul Labrecque offers a full menu of hair and skin services, as well as some of the most internationally coveted prestige beauty products. Designated a “Master Colorist” on New York Magazine’s Best of Beauty Awards and “Top 3 Stylists” in the country by Vanity Fair, Labrecque is an avatar for all things beauty, especially in New York City.
After a specially customized Biologique Recherche Ice Facial with Cryo-Sticks which left my complexion pristine and radiant by gorgeous staff esthetician Binta – which I covered separately in “Give the Gift of Refreshed, Snatched & Glowing Skin with the Biologique Recherche Ice Facial At Paul Labrecque”– I was thrilled to speak to this iconic New Yorker about the trends and future of professional spa and salon services, and the lessons he’s learned after 37 years in the biz.
Q&A
1. As the owner of unisex salon and spa, have you noticed a need to market/connect with male and female customers differently?
Yes, with our male clients we need to be a bit more discrete. When it comes to adding color or getting a waxing service nothing is announced, and the services are done in absolute privacy in an area that’s just for them and their stylist or technician.
2. Are most men still reluctant to follow and seek out skin and hair regimens?
I don’t think this is the case in New York City. Men are extremely sophisticated here and they realize they need to look their best to stay at the top of their game in business and otherwise.
3. Beauty, like fashion, is all about trends, many of which seem fully ridiculous when they fade away. What are the most cringeworthy beauty trends you’ve seen in your career?
I think grunge was a strange time in the ’90s. We were cleaning up hair and cutting it, then adding in so much pomade and oil just to make it look dirty again.
Bad ombre also! Black roots with a straight line of over-processed blonde at the bottom… not flattering.
These are two examples of times when I questioned my training.
4. What are the most classic and evergreen hairstyles?
I love the way the bob always stays fashionable for women, and similarly, the fade always stays classic for a man.
5. There’s no official designation for wellness or clean beauty – how do you define them personally and as an entrepreneur?
As an owner I think the environment we create and present to clients determines whether or not we’re a destination for wellness and full-service beauty. It should be sterile, stylish and well-kept, always personable too. We take great notes and records in our computer system so that we’re always on top of service and product needs and recommendations for our guests.
6. What are your favorite viral social media skin and hair hacks?
A cold rinse for hair shine, a good wand to add in waves, and the L’Oreal Magic Root Cover Up spray as the best product to add in a week or two more before booking a professional color service.
7. What are the viral social media hacks that you think are the most dangerous?
Coloring your own hair at-home with a tip kit. This could actually end up costing you hundreds of dollars getting your hair back to a color you actually even like.
Shampoo and Conditioner 2-in-1s — these don’t really work and often leave your hair terribly dry.
8. The beauty and wellness industries are sometimes criticized for fostering women’s insecurities about their appearance and exploiting that insecurity for profit, while others see the beauty/wellness industry as empowering. Where do you fall in this debate?
I try never to exploit anyone, but I always aim to convey the truth. I tell clients what is reasonable and achievable, taking into account lifestyle factors and genetics, and if something takes a lot of time to recreate at home or maintain, I’m very honest about that too. I never oversell, and I manage people’s expectations. My motto is, “Never overpromise, over-deliver!”
9. What motivated you to found your own salon and spa in 1988 and 1996 respectively as there’s no shortage of upscale beauty providers in Manhattan?
My salon first opened in 1988. My spa first opened in 1996. As my salon grew we added in skincare, nails services and body treatments.
10. How is your typical New York client different from the clientele in Palm Beach?
Since most of my clients live in both locations, absolutely nothing! However, Palm Beach has more social events than I ever expected, so we do a lot of event hair and special styles in my Palm Beach Salon and Skincare Spa. There’s more day-to-day power woman styling in NYC.
11. To what do you attribute this current boom in skincare, selfcare, and the wellness industries?
Skincare used to be mostly about properly cleansing, but now it is a youth-driven business and about offering a variety of innovative treatments to keep your gorgeous glow.
12. In addition to offering a full menu of hair and spa services, Paul Labrecque Salon & Skincare Spa sells some of the buzziest prestige and imported luxury skin and hair care lines. What are the best sellers?
The iconic Biologique Recherche Lotion P50, and many others from the entire Biologique Recherche line for the face, body and hair.
We cannot keep Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer in stock!
Vintner’s Daughter‘s Botanical Serum is always popular, and so is all of the Olaplex line, K18’s and Revitalash haircare.
My signature Paul Labrecque Repair Style Hydrating Hair Lotion is always in demand, too. I can’t be without it!
13. For beauty warriors on a budget, what are your top tips for prioritizing expenditure and determining what’s worth the splurge?
I say always splurge on your conditioning regime and your nighttime moisturizer. Hydration is everything for your hair and skin!
14. What was your eureka moment, when you knew deep-down that it was the time in your life, and in the market, to start your own business?
This happened when I met my husband Brian. He’s from England and I’m from the U.S. The business gave us something to do and build together, and it helped him secure a green card so he would be qualified to stay here in the States with me. We’re now married, but 38 years ago that was not an option for us.
15. What had you wished a more seasoned business owner in any industry had told you when you started?
Life is a giant learning curve you sometimes have to experience through your own trials and lessons. I don’t think we would have listened to anyone. We were exhilarated to start something as a team and we were fearless because we had nothing to lose.
16. Do you have formal business training, such as an MBA, or a similar degree in chemistry? Or is your professional background mostly in the beautysphere?
My partner Brian Cantor has a business and accounting degree, as well as the experience of owning his own product company in the UK. I have the artistic side, and our combined skills and talents are what make Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa truly unique and successful.
17. How do you make sure that you stay tapped into the market in a way that promotes longevity instead of just riding trends?
Our great retail partnerships are managed by my lifelong friend and business partner Paul Grasso. He’s excellent at helping us focus on what is real, results-driven and special, and not doing what is fleeting or simply trendy.
18. What are your top 3 favorite treatments/services offered at Paul Labrecque Salon & Skincare Spa?
Our healing Scalp treatments developed by me and my Master Barber Pirrko, our customized, one-of-a-kind Biologique Recherche facials and the non-toxic hair smoothing treatments we offer which are incredible at helping to eliminate frizz.
19. What’s your most essential platform/source/voice for market research?
Teamwork — listening to your entire staff is crucial. Study, learn and grow together.
20. Where do you see or hope to see the beauty and wellness industry in a few years?
I hope the young people learn from what we’ve started and that the entire industry moves away from plastic to work with more recyclable components.
21. In addition to clean formulations and sustainable practices, diversity is one of the hottest trends in beauty and wellness. How does Paul Labrecque Salon & Skincare Spa approach/embrace diversity?
Paul Labrecque has always been diverse. Our staff is ethnically mixed and multi-lingual.
We encourage the promotion of women, we celebrate families and we do not tolerate cruelty in any form.
22. With your involvement in Habitat for Humanity, Sanctuary for Families, and Locks of Love, giving back and paying it forward are clearly important to you. Currently, what are the most exciting and promising intersections of charity and beauty?
Collin Adams is our General Manager in Palm Beach. He’s always between NYC and Palm Beach organizing our giving agenda and calendar for each year. We love to give to both the arts in general and people in need. Collin is a great leader who motivates our entire staff in joining him as we work together to give back and do what we can to help others.
23. We like to think of beauty as being a politics-free zone, but with the signing of the CROWN act and recent New York State cosmetology license requirements for courses
in textured hair, it’s anything but. What recommendations do you have for making beauty more inclusive?
I was trained in an inner city and love both braiding and relaxing hair. I teach my junior staff to work with all types of hair and textures and encourage them to learn as much as they can so they’re able to work with anyone and anywhere.
When I went to school, we were only offered a cosmetology license that incorporated skin, nails and hair. Now there are a multitude of licenses available and you can specialize in any area. There’s a place for everyone in the world of beauty and if you have passion for it and not necessarily artistic skills, the management route can be the ideal way to go. We’re all different and learn in different ways, and that’s what makes the world beautiful.
24. It’s hard to believe that there are still skeptics out there about the benefits of dedicated skin care, hair care and wellness regimens, especially to treat skin, scalp, and hair problems. How do you address that skepticism?
A product only works if you use it! Sometimes clients buy something and it just sits in their home, unused. Everything has a shelf life and listening to and reading instructions are also incredibly important. The luxury of time is something not everyone has. I always first ask about a client’s time during consultations, and that way I can be sure I won’t set someone up for failure.
