Set in a beautiful Georgian townhouse, The Drawing Room is the latest hair salon in the heart of East London, established by renowned hair stylist Oskar Pera and James Ollerenshaw. Charming, with a comforting and luxurious atmosphere, The Drawing Rooms prides itself on the ultimate personal approach. Twin caught up with Co-Founder Ollerenshaw to talk about his latest venture.

Tell us about The Drawing Room and how it started…
The Drawing Room has been open for a year, but the gestation of the concept probably began when Oskar Pera gained his first experience managing a hair salon in Palma de Mallorca approximately ten years ago. This deepened his ambition to open his own salon, but he wanted to develop his career both commercially and creatively before taking that step.

He moved to London in 2006, styling in leading Shoreditch salons, before leaving to work independently as a session stylist for fashion labels, magazines, models and artists, and private clients. Fashion brands Oskar has styled for include Dior, Vivienne Westwood, Kenzo, Chloé, Erdem, Fred Perry, Lacoste, JW Andersen, and Peter Pilotto. He has delivered creative editorial work for magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Ponystep, Volt and Dansk. Models and artists served include Florence Welch, Cara Delevigne, George Michael, Sharleen Spiteri, The Alpines, Trudie Styler, and Kate Nash.

The Drawing Room prides itself on exclusivity and the personal approach, tell us a little about that…
When creating his own salon, Oskar wanted a space and experience that would offer the glamour and exclusivity inspired by his session work, but his years of experience on the salon floor taught him that clients most value an approach that responds to their individual needs and preferences. He has trained the team at The Drawing Room to always to be professional and pay close attention to detail, and never to be less than warm and genuine, putting clients at their ease and making them the centre of attention. Every appointment begins with a consultation so there is an opportunity to listen carefully to clients’ wishes and to talk with them about their lifestyle and personal style. This conversation build rapport and allows each stylist to build a picture of their client’s character and daily life, helping them to create a manageable style that is uniquely theirs.

What’s in the name?
The name of the salon reflects this ethos of personality and the style of the building we occupy. The Drawing Room has been created within a 1750s town house and we wanted to maintain the sense that you are entering a beautiful, almost domestic space. There’s none of the feel of a busy chain salon. Clients sit in capacious styling chairs facing antique or bespoke dressing tables. We shake their choice of cocktail or offer artisan coffee or fresh tea. There are hot towels to refresh and, on most days, Poquito the salon dog provides additional entertainment!

Which hairstyles are particularly on trend for this summer?
Following on from fashion week events in London and Paris, Oskar notes that natural-looking, lightly wavy, air-dried styles are very popular at present. They look effortless, but to work really well you’ll need an exceptional cut and skilful colour. If this natural look suits your taste and hair type, here’s how you can achieve it.

For medium length hair, after washing and conditioning, towel dry taking care to ensure moisture is removed from the ends. If your hair is frizzy, apply a rich leave-in conditioner. If you have smooth hair, use a salt spray to create texture. Part the hair and, holding the hair dryer above you head, blow downwards using a medium temp. Adjust the amount of waviness by using your fingers like a wide-toothed brush, smoothing out the hair to reduce waves, or scrunching to increase them.

For long hair, follow the same steps as above, but when your hair is 95% dry divide it into four quarters across your head and then loosely plait each section. You can leave to dry naturally for around half an hour, or if you’re pressed for time apply some heat by using a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment. Once the hair is fully dry, undo the plaits and shake out your hair to a natural finish.

The Drawing Room, 41 Artillery Lane, London, E1 7LP

drawingroomsalon.com

Tags: Hair, Shoreditch