SFIS 03/01/2007
Think of it as testosterone-supercharged mani-pedi indulgence for men. A brief escape from the quotidian that puts that pep in your step when youl look good and know it.
We're talking straight-razor shaves. Welcoming chairs that recline at a nap-inducing angle. Hot towels. A hint of dangerous sophistication that comes from an expertly wielded, samurai-sharp blade affectionately referred to as "cutthroat." Yet the cool quotient trumps the fear factor, and for a relaxing treat that could quickly morph into a necessity, a real 21st century barbershop is the way to go.
Or so it seems. There are two new San Francisco options for a barbershop shave, neither of them with those fire engine seats used for a little boy's first trim. Indeed, these are loft-like spaces that owe more to luxurious spas and the kind of full-service upscale gyms that puts a white phalaenopsis in each private changing room.
Sean Heywood and Kumi Walker, co-founders and managing partners of MR. on Sacramento Street, envision their lounge as a "place where distinguished guys can be guys and walk out looking good." Both struggled to find decent barbers while at Brown University. When they moved to Manhattan to work at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, they trekked to 125th Street in Harlem, or out to Brooklyn, to find barbers. By the time they were ready to graduate from Stanford's business master's program in 2006, they had a vision, a business plan and backers for a chain of barbershops infused with the sensibility of the chic lobby bar of a boutique hotel.
The Financial District flagship has the atmosphere of a low-key, sophisticated lounge rather than a barbershop. It's stocked with a tightly edited assortment of wines and beers, a dreams-come-true-assortment of electronic gizmos, gadgets and games, and networking opportunities at every juncture. Indeed, the e-mail confirming an appointment comes with a list and brief bios of those who will be at MR. at the same time.
"it's not an age, race or income thing," Walker says. "It's for professionals who care about how they look because of how it impacts their career."
The four-step shave starts with a cleaning and exfoliation and ends with the application of a proprietary, soothing serum developed by a chemist with a doctorate from Stanford.
South of Market, at the Barber Lounge, networking comes in the shape of canine cannonball, Louie. A French bulldog, Louie's ears perk up at a customer's steps. He runs the length of the half block-deep loft, dropping to his butt a yard or so from your feet to slide into your shoes.
Louie, a stylish canine with a keen sense of fun, sets the tone for a place that feels more like a live-work art gallery than a salon or barbershop. Owner, Greg Griffin offers grooming services for men and women, combing elements of a beauty salon and a barbershop, swirled with upscale spa treatments.
The barbering area features four cadet blue leather Art Deco barbershop chairs and an antique French red, white and blue twirling barber sign. Fen Leung, a veteran barber form Guanghzhou, a city known for it's sharp shavers overseas the action - from cleansing to a bracing dollop of aftershave lotion that wakes up those who doze off under her ministrations.
"It takes half an hour, and it is very relaxing," says Griffin, who has developed a skin treatment line, Barbershop Botanicals, that is available only at the lounge.
Although MR. provides services only for men while welcoming women into the lounge and bar areas, Griffin offers a full range of services for men and women, beyond the straight razor shave.
He feels it is retro, in an uncool way, to have men- or women-only spas, or to have men using spas clearly designed with women in mind. "Now we're all aware of male and female grooming habits," Griffin says, "there's no need to keep them a secret." - Beth Hughes
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