Holiday Hair at Art + Autonomy Salon

The holiday season is here! While that means a lot of running around from work events to parties, it’s also a time to try out something new on your hair. At Art + Autonomy, we have you covered. Whether you want your hair blown-out, braided or placed in an updo, we can create a stye that’s all your own that you can easily rock this holiday season. Read on to check out more of the styles we offer during this special, umm, crazy, time of year:

1. Updos: Not just your classic up styles anymore, we can help you to upgrade your typical updo by creating a style that’s personal and super wearable. This can be anything from a deconstructed French twist to a low messy bun to a side-swept updo. We can help you to discover the right style based on your hair type, texture and length.

2. Braids: Braided hairstyles are everywhere! We love how elevated they can make a look - sophisticated and fun. Not to mention it’s a style you don’t have to fuss with once it’s completed. This can be anything from a fishtail braid to a pulled out Dutch braid to a class three-strand. Seriously, tell us what you want us to create and we can pretty much make it happen.

3. Blowout: A classic NYC look, a blowout is a great way to rock sleek, frizz-free hair this holiday season. With our help (and some great products), you’ll leave the salon looking and feeling gorgeous.

Before the extensions.

Post-extensions - look at that length!

4. Some length: Or maybe you want to add some length to your hair. At Art+Autonomy, we use Heritage Hair Extensions, a line of extensions that feels and looks like real hair. We offer clip-ins, keratin bonds, tape ins, micro links - the entire collection of extensions that we can customize right in the salon where you’ll leave with fuller, thicker locks. We can also help you to take them out when you need them removed.

What look are you excited to try over the holidays?

Raindrops901 are at Art+Autonomy, And We're Psyched!

We have some exciting news from our little Art+Autonomy Salon! We just started to carry Raindrops901, a six-step filtration system that attaches to your shower.

This sleek system, developed by 901 Salon founders Riawna Capri and Nikki Lee, is designed to filter out the impurities in your water, which, according to Raindrops will make your hair and skin feel as if "you had showered in the rain!" We love how this won’t strip your color or dry out your hair.

While we do have amazing water in NYC, there are definitely impurities in our shower water that might not be filtered out such as lead, mercury, chlorine, and rust, which can fade out your fresh hair color and leave your hair feeling dry (no, thank you!). We really dig its six-step filtration system that filters out these pollutants where you're left with shiny, soft hair that can resist color fading and brassiness. Sounds awesome, right?! And without all of these pollutants, your skin also benefits where it will be less prone to breakouts and dry skin.

Visit us in the store or give us a call to learn more!

From Wearable to Wacky: Hair Trends to Try from NYFW

by Haven Bleu

Photo: Diane Kendal, @diane.kendal

If there’s anything I love, it’s a good reference. Something to point to when a client is explaining the hairstyle they’ll hope I’ll give them. They always range, of course––I’ve hinted at everything from “Jane Birkin on a hippie commune” to “a young Goldie Hawn.” The latest shows from New York Fashion Week have given us more of these visualizing moments, and now, I have more imagery fodder to delve out before giving a makeover to the guest sitting in my chair.

Lucky for us, the Spring/Summer 2018 runways were all about optimism––with most of the designers nodding toward the spirit of the ‘80s. I’m guessing St. Mark’s punk kids and Meg Ryan’s loveable Sally Albright were a few of the designers’ references. The clothes weren't costume-y, the beauty looks weren’t cartoony, and the hair was downright wearable. While there wasn’t a teased bang in sight, we did witness the revival of a few of the classics from yesteryear. Thankfully, this season’s hairstyles can––and should––be put to the test (Aqua Net need not be used). Here are a few trends worth trying:

Hit Snooze, Bedhead is Still In:

Is there anything that pairs as seamlessly with an oversized, tailored suiting––like the menswear shown at The Row––as messy, natural hair? The dichotomy of the two together is not only incredibly wearable––it’s sexy. This trend isn’t going anywhere, and in fact, it’s only got longer and more natural-looking this season. A good dry shampoo, like R+Co’s Death Valley or Oribe’s Dry Texturizing Spray, is my favorite for achieving this unpretentious look. Another plus? You get to sleep in for a little longer.

Punk but Pretty:

Cotton candy-colored hair has been around for years now and, according to the shows, it’s here to stay for at least another season (but I’m betting on more). One model at Alexander Wang tweaked the trend, showcasing an icy, purple that you wouldn’t dare call unicorn hair. Mussing it all up keeps a strong shade like this one soft and pretty while still looking punk. As a more temporary option, Marc Valvo’s models’ had ropey braids randomly placed throughout their hair, but the look was undoubtedly ethereal.

Changing the Silhouette:

Despite all of the retrograde references, Fashion Week is about looking toward the future. Designers like Tom Ford have spruced up a few of our favorite hair go-tos, and the results are fresh. An asymmetrical bob has a wave to it, a pixie is longer than the traditional, and this year’s “chop” boasts a power perimeter all of way around. Zac Posen is even bringing back the shag in a more 2017 way. The upcoming season brings a lot of options to glance toward our hair pasts while still thinking ahead.

Here’s to Holiday Hair:

Speaking of thinking ahead, why not give one of spring’s updos a spin for date night, or better yet, at a soon-to-be-happening holiday party? There are plenty of special styles to go around. Amidst the most covetable printed dresses, Self-Portrait showed disheveled half-up, half-down pompadours. R+Co’s new flexible paste called Control would keep the top in place, while the rest of the hair remained undone as to keep it from looking too precious. Christian Siriano, on the flip side, kept his models’ hair streamlined and crisp; wide double braids connected to form one low ponytail. There were braided buns at Delpozo and more tight ones at 3.1 Phillip Lim––maybe braids, this season, are the gift that keeps on giving?

Now that you have a taste of next season’s hair trends, it’s time to go forth and tackle them yourself. Morph, tighten, mess up, and let loose––maybe don’t do the cutting or coloring...I can handle that part.

Say Goodbye to Dry Summer Hair with These Three Steps

by Noelle Chen

They say that all good things must come to an end. Another summer has (sadly) come and gone, and soon we’ll be replacing rooftop cocktail sessions for warm hot toddies, bikinis for zip-up hoodies. Salt and sun will no longer be part of our daily repertoires…but that may not necessarily be a bad thing (bear with me on this).

You may have discovered that exposure to the elements these past few months has left your hair feeling dry, damaged, and a little dull. While you likely had fun, your hair is thirsty for a break. A few quick tips will get your mane back to where it was before you were having a blast at the beach:

1.    Start with the scalp

We often forget about the place from which our hair grows, don’t we? It’s super important to treat everything––scalp first, then ends––so that hair can grow healthfully. The sun’s rays have probably left your base feeling dry––even itchy maybe, yikes––but a weekly scalp treatment or scrub is the best place to start. (Important: don’t do the scrub if your scalp is dry or tight from a sunburn––the scrubbing will make it worse!) Massage it in, leave on for at least 10 minutes, and then shampoo it out.

2.    Moisture, moisture, moisture

For those who hate the word ‘moist,’ I’m sorry to offend, but it’s key to achieving post-summer hair recovery. Consider caring for your hair how you care for your face with a daily routine; using a moisturizing serum or an at-home moisture mask on hairs’ ends will trap water into the follicles, ensuring repair. My new favorite is Oribe’s Gold Lust Pre-Shampoo Intensive Treatment––they recommend to use it once a week, but my hair loves it so much I slather it on my ends twice a week.

3.    Restore, reset, refresh

Visiting your stylist as summer comes to a close is a wise choice. A color refresher will bring it back to its shiny self, while a cut will salvage any damage that has traveled up the hair shaft. If you’re cautious of chopping a whole lot, a trim will suffice; however, you must cut off enough of the damaged ends to save your hair. Make an appointment now so your locks are prepped and ready for the holiday season––think of it as a “hair pregame” (yes, we’re already looking that far ahead).

Though I wish I could press fast-forward on the weeks that come after arguably everyone’s favorite season, I have no doubt that following these simple steps will get you and your hair excited for the cooler days ahead.

We Are Celebrating Our First Anniversary

by Mary Darnell

Art + Autonomy Salon is a community built on the ideals of self-expression, collaboration and craftsmanship. We are dedicated to creating a genuine and welcoming environment that cares for every style and personality. The relationships we build are as important as the hair itself.

- Art + Autonomy Mission Statement

Our baby is turning one. So hard to believe. Conceiving our dream was one of those things that just happened. It happened somewhere amidst years of flirting with daydreams over drinks on Saturday nights, and asking ourselves all the inevitable questions: Could we really create something so amazing? Are we really ready? Before we knew it we had thrown ourselves into a long and sometimes difficult labor, gratefully collecting cheerleaders along the way, until finally our dream was born: Art + Autonomy.

Building our dreams from the ground up, L to R: A handful of us celebrating our lease signing in our empty space (there was no heat yet and it was FREEZING), Getting our hands dirty sanding and staining our soon to be stations, Jeffrey and Russell laying out the space.

From the get-go we knew we had to build more than just a place for people to get their hair done. We had an inkling we could create something so much more valuable: a community. A place where hairstylists have the freedom to pursue education and creativity endlessly and strive to perfect their craft. A place where clients are made to feel like they belong and will be served with the utmost care and skill. An environment of sharing, collaborating and simply having a lot of fun. So build we did.  We built stations and shelves. We built an education program for our apprentices. We built relationships with our neighbors, other small local SoHo businesses, beauty editors and designers. We built excitement with our clients (Ha! We know very, VERY well the energy of our incredible and supportive clients built us!). Happily, a year in we can now say we have built momentum.  Art + Autonomy has taken on a life of it’s own, and that is the real dream.

L to R: Our fearless leaders! Noelle Chen and Jeffrey Jagling, owners of A+A, starting off a meeting right one week into business last March. Siobhan styling on our rooftop during our Weekender Party for beauty bloggers and editors. A partial shot of our crew in Miami this January for some higher hair education at LBP Front Row (Oribe and R+CO).

We are so proud of the incredible year behind us. We are especially proud to have grown into a collective made of strong, talented and skilled individuals with a shared vision. Above all we are grateful. 

To our clients and supporters, we cannot thank you enough. That we get to have a place in your lives is a privilege. Thank you for coming on this journey with us, and here’s to many more years together!

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Join us on Saturday March 12th from open to close to help us celebrate our year anniversary. We will have drinks snacks and little goodies to give away. We will have the rooftop open if weather permits. Book your appointment here or RSVP on Facebook here. We can't wait to see you soon!