Wander down a cobbled mews in Bloomsbury and your nostrils will fill with the scent of baking bread. That, of course, is Fortitude Bakehouse, whose new neighbour is one of the capital’s most interesting new hair salons: Aevum.
Aevum was founded by hair stylist Chris Donohue and the globally renowned hairdresser Tom Smith, with a focus on hair health. Glass-fronted and modestly sized, the choice of location was, Smith tells Broadsheet, “intentionally private” – there’s even parking outside for customers who prefer discretion.
“I always said I would never open a salon,” says Smith, who trained at Vidal Sassoon and is a creative director for brands including Calecim and Evo, as well as a mentor to young professionals in the industry. “I think that’s because traditional salons normally consist of separate colour and cut experts, with no one person responsible for the longevity of your hair. If hair is not healthy, nothing looks good”.
On entering, you’re welcomed by a towering fiddle-leaf fig tree, brought over from the Netherlands, whose branches stretch out to a majestic canopy over the salon. Around the trunk is a circular colour-treatment station, which doubles as a “work from home” laptop area and place to sip collagen-infused drinks from Ancient & Brave (or, if you’d prefer, a glass of organic côtes de Bordeaux). A dramatic floor-to-ceiling mirror reflects the space, and doubles as a sound-proofed treatment room hosting reflexology, acupuncture and injectables from an in-house nurse. “We’re not saying that one round of reflexology is going to fix stress-related hair loss,” Smith says. “Instead, it’s about introducing the idea of settling your nervous system.”
After colour, move to the centre of the room for hair health protocols, before finishing with a cut and blow-dry using Dyson’s newest dryers. Hair density concerns are targeted with stem-cell-technology products, while molecular repair treatments use formulas from K18 and Olaplex. There is meticulous attention to detail throughout: heated neck rests at the wash stations, a red-light therapy face mask to use during treatments and chairs with lymphatic-massage functions. The mirrors at the colour stations can even be removed for those who would rather not look at their reflection for hours.
To take things a step further, the salon also offers hair regeneration sessions. “It can feel scary for clients to go to a doctor about hair health – or it sometimes feels like overkill,” Smith says. “This is where we get more into the medical space. Our offerings are very much tailored to the client’s needs, from a deep cleanse to remove minerals and metals from the hair to regenerative scalp injectables, scalp Botox – for very greasy hair – and scalp micro needling”.
It all might sound a tad overwhelming, but demystifying hair health is one of the driving forces behind Aevum. “We want to provide somewhere you can come for everything and we’ll take care of it,” Smith says. “You may just want a haircut, and that’s okay, too.”
So why has this holistic hair philosophy taken so long to catch on? Smith thinks it reflects a more general shift in attitudes to self-care. “Hair is still considered quite surface-level,” he says. “There’s a culture of quick fixes, like getting extensions if your hair is thinner. I think we’re now seeing a shift in beauty that is moving away from just looking good, to actually being healthy.”
Aevum is by appointment only.
Aevum
27 Colonnade, WC1N 1JA
07756296609
Hours:
Tue to Sat 10am–8pm
