Kieran McKenna On Hairstyling In The Age Of Social Distancing
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The coronavirus pandemic has forced Beauty Service to adapt overnight.
Upper East Side Hair Salon Owner, Kieran McKenna Shares His Top Beauty Service and Business Advice.
5 MINS READ TIME
Hailing from a village in the beautiful English countryside, world-renowned hair expert, Kieran McKenna, made his most defining career decision to turn his passion for hairstyling into a life-long lucrative career. At 15, Kieran came across the famous John Freida Salon while browsing through VOGUE magazine. He made a phone call to the salon and 2 weeks later he'd moved to London, the epicenter of the U.K's beauty industry.
Kieran emphasizes how his apprenticeship under John Frieda was one of the most transformative and educational times of his life. He changed his plans to attend The University of Arts London, and pursue his obsession for all things hair. Kieran states how all the skills he acquired under the tutelage of John Frieda and the exposure of working alongside renowned icons of the fashion industry such as, Photographer, David Bailey, Make-Up Artist, Pierre LaRouche, and Harper's Bazaar Editor, Liz Tilberas taught him to never settle for anything less than 110%.
He moved to New York at 21 after John requested he assist him in opening a salon in New York City on Madison Avenue, where Kieran took an apartment a few blocks up the avenue to accommodate his many hours at the new salon. He continued to have a major role in the company's expansion, helping to promote the pioneering 'Frizz-Ease' hair care line and open a second salon on Madison Avenue. Soon after McKenna caught the eye of the eponymous Peter Coppola Salon where they recruited him for his excellent technical and creative skills which led him to his next venture, assisting Oscar Blandi in opening his 13,000 square feet salon on Madison Avenue, the largest in NYC.
Although Kieran was working alongside the best of the best, he felt the industry was moving in a direction that was counter intuitive and moving away from his core beliefs and that an assembly line aura was slowly creeping into the industry. "I felt we'd shifted away from the craft and the emphasis was on client volume. I wanted to get back to what hairdressing is supposed to be." He says with a smile, "I always wanted to work in a salon that was like 'Cheers' meets 'Christian Dior'! Warm, friendly service coupled with high-end craftsmanship". That idea was the catalyst for starting his own boutique Madison Avenue salon.
The pandemic has forced companies in every industry to change overnight, converting their in-person operations to fully remote or a blend of home and office. "Our culture has changed," says McKenna, "and we have to adapt." Upon learning that some of his NYC clients are immune-compromised and understandably apprehensive about coming to the salon, Kieran launched Salon-2-Go, a house call service. The initial feedback for Salon-2-Go was so positive he decided to widen the net to the Tri-State area accommodating all clients.
"Firstly, we are a creative business but just as importantly, we are a service business, and as a service business it is important to embrace the 'new normal'," said McKenna. "In the age of covid, it is not enough to just have a safe and clean environment for clients but to be flexible enough to adhere and provide for their unique needs. We always strive to give them more."
While some hairstylists have been known to offer house-calls pre pandemic, Kieran believes he and his team are the first to bring the full salon experience to the client. This experience includes stylists, colorists, keratin experts, portable shampoo basin and chair, sanitized robes and towels and whatever is needed to give the client the desired look. He is quick to note that his team packs an abundance of PPE such as masks, visors, and gowns to match the client's comfort level. This service is offered to individuals and groups of up to 15 people. His team gets tested every 2 weeks and have their temperatures taken daily.
"It's a luxury being able to bring all the amenities expected from us at the salon and literally set up a salon in a client's garden, patio, terrace, or rooftop."If you're a brick and mortar business such as we are, you have to be creative and flexible. As a boutique salon and a small business, we are able to be more nimble and change directions quickly depending on the demand from the clients." This safe and convenient high-quality service is beloved by A-List celebrities, politicians, and every day clients alike as their premier choice because they don't have to leave the comfort and safety of their home to transform their image. "I think as more and more people are working from home, it makes sense for us to be more available to accommodate that need. If they cannot come to us, we'll go to them. If this is a service that our clients require, then it is a service we need to provide otherwise we're not doing our job."
For Kieran, the goal of Salon-2-Go is to provide a much needed service, not just making people look better but helping to improve people's well being. "For some of our clients we are the first people they have invited into their homes and personal space since Co-vid. That is a huge amount of trust being placed on us, an honor we do not take for granted. The ability to make people feel good about themselves and give them a sense of normalcy in these extremely difficult times is huge. When you watch TV, and the world around you feels like it's falling apart and then you look at yourself in the mirror and feel you're going with it! It's wonderful to be able to give people the confidence and lift to keep going. It's simple, if you look better you'll feel better."