Walk into Oskar Pink and you’ll be met with a pleasing, somewhat Parisian-style interior – there’s a gorgeous art nouveau-style mural on the wall and bespoke wallpaper with a quirky repeat-print scissor pattern. It’s a wonderfully welcoming space, and the latest salon in a stable of three (the other two are in Chalk Farm and Kentish Town), each with a different interior vibe, though all headed up by the charismatic Stavros Konstantinou.
Having spent ten years as a creative director at Toni & Guy, and a further year managing a salon for Nicky Clarke, he decided to turn away from the corporate world of hairdressing, shake off his formal training and adopt a more freestyle approach to cutting and colour. He opened his first branch in 2007, hoping to attract cool north Londoners by encouraging his stylists to put the customer first rather than just cutting to a formula – and the approach has paid off.
Visiting the salon without a clue what to have (anything but another bob!) wasn’t as awkward as feared – Stavros suggested a smart shoulder-length cut which turned out exceptionally well. It was understated, flattering, survived the first-wash test and has got better with time.