SEMINARA’S SUPER SALON

Best known for his stunning photographic collections and prolific session career, Angelo Seminara’s latest creative work in progress is turning his Knightsbridge salon into London’s go-to colour destination

When he was younger, Angelo Seminara dreamed of owning a hair salon by day that transformed into a nightclub in the evening. He laughs at the memory, but the principle of his vision today remains similar. “I wanted a space that feels multipurpose,” he explains. Hardly surprising from someone who has built a career from experimentation, bold creativity and ideas that teeter on the brink of crazy and genius. His salon was never going to be ordinary.

The result is a stunning space in one of London’s elite postcodes on Hans Crescent, Knightsbridge. Inhabiting almost the whole of the first floor Urban Retreat Wellness and Beauty Retreat, the Angelo Seminara Hair Salon is spacious and luxurious. The building itself – formerly an aristocrat’s mansion – now houses a restaurant on the ground floor and beauty, wellnes and lifestyle outposts on the rest.

“We’re just normal, cool, creat ive people doing amazing hair.”

Despite the childhood dreams of his own salon, the reality is that it took Angelo years to feel ready to take the leap. “I’m a creative spirit and loved not feeling tied down to one place,” he explains. The turning point was a call from his business partner and owner of Urban Retreat, George Hammer. “George had approached me 10 years previously with an opportunity, but this time around I’d been feeling like I wanted a base for me and my team – somewhere I could have my own salon with my own products so I said, ‘let’s do it’,” Angelo recalls.

While Angelo may not have imagined his creative HQ in Knightsbridge when growing up in Italy, he loves the location and building. “It’s a beautiful space,” he confi ms. Indeed, the space boasts high ceilings, huge, light-floode windows and an original wooden floo . The square footage is split into two domains with a cutting area and its own dedicated colour room. The perfect blend of old and new, luxurious but unintimidating.

And it’s not just an interior transformation that is on the agenda. Angelo is determined to create the best colour salon in London. Joined by Takashi Kurokawa and John Spanton, both experts in their field, you ca tell that Angelo has been deservedly choosy about the team he’s building. Takashi works closely with Angelo on new collections and techniques and John comes from the Sorbie alumni and has an enormous amount of experience, and awards, to his name.

Angelo Seminara has formidable ambitions for his salon, but that doesn’t mean he’s lost any of his laidback charms. (“We’re a friendly easy-going team. We’re just normal, cool, creative people doing amazing hair.") Knightsbridge address: Yes.

World-class talent: Yes. But when all is said and done, the success of the salon is happy clients.

ANGELO’S TOP TIPS

Keepit simple When it comes to interiors, I eschew anything Baroque or fussy and prefer a clean, monochrome look.

Be adaptable I’m a big believer in working with what you have in front of you, which in this case meant preserving and respecting the building and its history.

Don’t lose sight of what’s important Although the interior is important, my real goal is to get clients coming back time and time again to the salon.