Mathew Curtis Hair at the Rosewood

Finding your way down to the Sense spa in the basement of the warren-like Rosewood hotel takes some navigating – this humongous hotel seems to have been built with GPS wielding bunnies in mind. Happily, the man who tames the tresses of proper slebs, Matthew Curtis, didn’t get lost and has in fact set up shop down there.
   The dinky space is based on the Orient Express and sitting in the salon feels a lot like being on board a glamorous train and thankfully, absolutely nothing like being stuck on the Pendolino to Penrith. Styled to look like a carriage complete with overhead luggage compartments, there are antique hat boxes from London milliners Lock & Co and Christy’s Hats, as well as vintage bamboo-handled brollies and gold handheld mirrors, pretty enough to grace the smartest of dressing tables. With a vintage upright trunk converted to store colouring products and gold rimmed glass boxes housing pins and clips, it’s evident that this is a hairdresser who cares about detail – and it’s not just limited to décor.
   A good portion of the appointment was given over to talking to my incredibly lovely stylist about current hair woes (the struggle is real) and what I wanted my hair to look like and what was achievable – i.e. give up on the mane-like-Liu-Wen dreams. All of which meant that I left the salon with a cut that I wanted, that actually suits my sometime Bertha Rochester tresses.
      Guests of The Rosewood don’t even have to leave their rooms to get their hair done, a second vintage-trunk has been rejigged with a mirror and drawers full of everything a hairdresser could need to get you looking groomed.