SalonOne80 adds cool touch to K St.

Tucked away on the corner of 12th and K streets, SalonOne80 just seems to scream “cool.” Upon walking in, guests are greeted with a hip, trendy atmosphere. Minimalist architecture leads to less-cluttered workspaces.

Hair dryers hang from outlets in the ceiling, looking like trendy black ceiling lamps one would only find in Paris or New York. Flat-screen TVs flash CNN as hairstylist Cyrille Turpin snips away, a small powerhouse with scissors.

Co-owner Jeremy Buchanan set up shop two years ago this April with Remi Metsu. Buchanan has been in the business since 1991 and Remi, over 20 years.

Buchanan has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar and TLC’s “A Makeover Story.” Metsu was named the best stylist in Washington by Allure magazine and has also received styling requests from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Natalie Portman.

Most of SalonOne80’s clientele are the savvy K Street young professionals, yet politicians and ambassadors’ wives often ask Buchanan and Metsu to open the salon after hours to get their hair cut. Gender-wise, One80’s clients are about 20 to 25 percent male.

Buchanan said that today, men need to groom. It’s not OK to look unkempt.

“My favorite thing about the beauty business is that I love making people feel good,” Buchanan said. “It’s fulfilling. I like change and creating change.”

As far as Inauguration hairstyles, Buchanan said it’s hard to say just yet, but younger women like Michelle Obama and Maria Shriver seem to be breaking the mold.

“I think a lot of style is very intentional,” he said. “The night Hillary Clinton won in New Hampshire, it looked like she wore upholstery. I think it’s intentional though; she’s trying for that blue-collar appeal and something not too stylish.”

According to Buchanan, D.C. has a sort of conscientious subtlety to it. “It’s very subdued. I think its style goes in line with being politically correct,” he said. “In D.C., there’s also a question of taste — if you break the mold, people are more likely to judge you.”

Pointing out my own long-beaded necklace, Buchanan said that here, people begin to think certain things about it, but in New York City, it’s just a necklace.

Stylist Cyrille Turpin calls D.C. style classic, and women here are not as flashy as other cities he’s visited and styled, such as Paris.

“One thing I know is that D.C. is very time-conscious. Its good bobs are making a comeback because anything else would require a lot of time,” Buchanan said.

Salon manager Glodine Young, a former model, never thought she’d live in D.C. after modeling in New York City.

“I was pleasantly surprised when I moved here. I’ve been in the beauty industry since age 15 and I know that women should be fearless and not be like everyone else.”

According to Turpin, D.C. women need to like being discovered; they should like to be open to change. “I always say there’s three things about your appearance: what’s real, what you think is real and what other people think is you,” he said.

Turpin has been styling at One80 since July. Before arriving in D.C., Turpin styled hair for Chanel and L’Oreal fashion shows and also worked in French president Nicholas Sarkozy’s hometown.

In the late ’90s, Turpin styled Matt Damon’s hair for “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” According to Turpin, he styled Damon’s hair once every morning, and he was very open-minded to change.

“He wanted it cut short for the promotion of the movie,” Turpin said. “I wasn’t as nervous to style his hair at that point, but I think it was because he wasn’t as well known yet as he is now.”

One80 prices are $80 for a woman’s haircut, blow-dry and finish, and special occasion/evening hair is $70. A shampoo, style and finish for women is $45. Men’s haircuts are $50.

One80 offers blow-dry classes on the first Thursday of every month for clients who wish to learn how to keep up their new hairdo. They also offer a generous rewards program, lunch delivery from Cosi and text-message appointment confirmations. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 202-842-9113.