Philadelphia transplant Vu Nguyen got his start as an assistant to Frédéric Fekkai, working his way up as a lead hairstylist at the Fifth Avenue flagship before toiling for other NYC salons such as Cornelia Day Resort, Red Door Spa and Warren-Tricomi Salon. Nguyen finally branches out on his own with this 750-square-foot space inside the Peninsula New York. Drawing on his days making house calls with Fekkai, Nguyen sought to create a warm environment by using a long window seat dotted with colorful silk pillows for the waiting area and a central table carved from the trunk of a Malaysian tree for setting color (single process $151, partial highlights $176–$275, full highlights $251–$375). Since Vu Hair is located directly above the Peninsula Spa, only makeup applications ($111–$161), eyebrow tweezing ($51) and hair services are offered. All five of the salvaged-marble stations are equipped with iPhone chargers and iPads, allowing you to catch up on e-mails during cuts (women $131–$201, with Nguyen $251; men $121–$136, with Nguyen $176), blowouts ($71, with Nguyen $86), deep-conditioning treatments ($76, with blowout $151) and keratin smoothing services ($401). Pick up the same Kevyn Aucoin cosmetics ($24–$65) and Living Proof hair care ($10–$42) used in the salon, such as Celestial Bronzing Veil bronzer ($45) and No Frizz Nourishing styling cream ($36).
