John Barrett

As noted for his dry wit and candor as he is for his sensitive handling of the diverse personalities — actresses, fashion editors, socialites, media figures — who comprise his clientele, Mr. Barrett has made a name paying superior attention to both the inside and outside of a woman's head. Hair, he believes, should be the glamorous extension of who you are inside. Since opening the JOHN BARRETT eleven years ago on the penthouse floor of Bergdorf Goodman, the Irish-born Mr. Barrett transformed the once-stuffy landscape of the hair salon into a vibrant, festive scene worthy of a chick-lit bestseller, a Broadway musical, or an over-the-top fashion shoot (all of which have been done). The fifth in a family of ten, Barrett grew up in a modest household in Limerick, Ireland. He moved to London as a teenager in the mid-1970s, and became a hairdressing apprentice; his natural flair advanced him quickly. In the late 1980s, Barrett moved to Los Angeles for several years, where he began to meet and befriend the actresses and fashion editors who would later make him famous. After another stint back in London, Barrett moved to New York in the early 1990s to work with Frédéric Fekkai. In 1996, Barrett was chosen to open his own salon at Bergdorf Goodman. This penthouse space, formerly the famous Goodman apartment, offers spectacular views of Central Park, which are today a calming and luxurious complement to the vibrant energy found inside the salon. While he has studiously avoided creating anything that could be called a signature cut, Barrett nonetheless strives to give all his clients the same thing: a clean, warm, modern look that melds the glamour and grace of uptown with all the youth and vitality of downtown. It's the perfect formula: one that allows every woman to express herself easily, naturally and beautifully.