One of the biggest issues I have with Afro hairdressers is that they tend to be on the outskirts of central London and their time keeping… well let’s just say it’s legendary. Put it this way, clients have been known to leave the salon at 2 o’clock in the morning (I kid you not). So with that in mind, I am always on the hunt for hairdressers that deal with Afro hair, are relatively central AND are relatively good at telling the time.
And so, imagine my delight when I stumbled across yet another salon that ticks these boxes. De-Lady is just off Victoria Street in Victoria. It is only a tiny, homely place – on a street that also sometimes doubles up as a raucous market – but they do absolutely EVERYTHING for Afro hair. From relaxers to treatments to amazingly real looking, Cheryl Cole rocking hair extensions (Peruvian or Russian? Take your pick).
What impressed me even further was the fact that they also do BRAIDS! YES! A braidist in central London! Wonders will never cease! I have not found ANYWHERE in central London that does braids. Usually having braids means going to areas where you’d either have to wear a bullet proof vest or hold on very tightly to your purse. Otherwise you’d make an appointment with a home based stylist who has to have a break every 2 seconds to cook rice and stew /wipe her screaming child’s nose/ change the babies nappies/ pick up the other child from school/ eat/ rest/eat again/phone a friend etc etc.
So yes, De-Lady is a super breath of fresh air. They are professional, fun and they have a bevy of upmarket (and down to earth) clients whose conversations range from why you should buy Oscar de la Renta’s £10,000 wedding dress to the addictive debacle called Katie and Peter. The salon may not have the snazziness of a million pound hairdressers in Knightsbridge but the lovely owner, the brilliant services (they also have a beauty treatment room) and fabulous products (Keracare, Phyto, L’Oreal Professional) they offer make it really worth a visit.
De-Lady Salon, 21 Strutton Ground, London SW1P 2HY. Telephone 0207 222 1934 or visit http://www.de-lady.co.uk