Cut Lola Cut

The Q's got two young daughters. Little Miss Clarkson Flatbed Jr. is 6; Little Miss Clarkson Flatbed, III is 3. They need haircuts fairly regularly, and they have to be nice. And not too expensive please. So for longer than not, we went to Lulu's over on Fifth Ave. It's kinda the Shake Shack for kids haircuts - seems like a great idea going in but you always feel unspeakably humiliated walking out. Especially when you're held hostage for a toy. Or ice cream. Or both. Because Lulu's and Shake Shack are within waddling distance of each other.

So on the advice of a friend, we tried Lola. Not Lola who has the Roller Skating parties at Lakeside. Lola the hair stylist, who just opened her first brick & mortar on Nostrand. Ironically, Style Lola actually does Roller Lola's hair. LOL, Lolas!

No, No. Not this Lola.

THIS is the right Lola, circa 2012. Is that a styling, or brain surgery? Looks serious.

So the Q takes the Little Misses over to 1092 Nostrand and settles in. Lola Lorraine is super welcoming, and I can see we'll be in good hands. The kids take a shine to her immediately. It's a real salon, and unlike the 15-minute hatchet-job assembly line of Lulu's, you can see that Lola means to take her time. I take a deep breath, and try to relax. This is most assuredly NOT a Barbershop, like Nelson's or Dr. Cuts where I get my the lox snipped off my bagel for $15 plus tip. And there's trip hop happening on the hi-fi. Instrumental, maybe even Boards of Canada. It sounds nice in here, with the air conditioning and mirrors and my two darling sweetlings entranced by the actor getting her hair did a strong red.

Lola's cool, she's fun, she's talented, she looks a bit like Frances McDormand, and she's covered in body art. She's still crushed out on the band Ministry and Madonna and had a Goth phase, and she can reminisce fondly on the '90s. She might, in fact, be your sister or ex-girlfriend, were you born to a certain X Generation somewhere in regular-old America. Jersey maybe. Or Massachusetts. Or Arizona. Or Portland, all places she lived. She's a colorist. She styles all kinds of hair, and even gave my daughter some gold extensions. Sold me on them, actually. My daughter's eyes suggested those little bands of hair might as well have been REAL gold. It was like she had been living Plato's Cave until now, and suddenly the world revealed to her its glorious possibilities in all their multi-colored tressal glory. This will be, if I may foretell, a lifelong hair affair. I'm not being sexist; guys get it too, though not so often, especially for hetro dudes. I had hair down to my ass when my band would play the Satyricon in Portland (maybe I spilled a beer on Lola at some point?) and I was proud of my curls and sweaty faux-fro. But it was all to fit the suit, and I never really liked taking care of it, nor did I enjoy wheeling around to catch myself in a Motel 6 mirror. I was relieved when I went legit and cut it all off. Not relieved about the legit part, that sucked. The hair was, for me, the best part about getting a real job.

Lola's lovely sidekick is Aisha Carter. You can call her just Carter; that seems to be her nom de plumage. She too was attractive and confident, and had Lola not been there that particular day I think we'd have done just fine. (For the uninitiated, as I was til just recently, Aisha was the name of one of Mohamed's wives, and a particularly young one at that. I shall reserve judgment out of deference to the Messenger, lest a fatwa and its reward be placed upon my head. Actually, I believe Alicia Boyd has already taken one out, so what's another fatwa between neighbors? You can read about the wives yourself, but be discreet! I didn't say a word. Did you know that Fatwa is an acronym? It stands for Fat White American. Don't ask me how I know.) 

So here we were, and what we got in terms of a French Bob and a chic trim with a couple streaks was downright lovely. Not over the top expensive either. My girls had a ball. We were there over an hour (guys, it's not gonna be Shake Shack In-and-Out). But the conversation was fun, the music pleasant, and all in all I was glad to have gone and will be happy to return. She does men's hair too, but she seemed pretty bent on recommending a gentleman named Massive who cuts at a shop right next to hers. I imagine me going for a fade at Massive's while the Little Misses submit to Lola's magic scissors then we'd meet up after for an IM Pastry. FYI Lola's a big fan of Culpeppers chicken, which if you haven't tried, you must before Labor Day or we'll have to beat you like the steel pans that you are. Seriously good food. I like the fish too.

Here's a bit of colorist poetry that Lola penned on a website I came across. She clearly takes her art quite seriously:

Luminosity is what makes Color the most beautiful compliment to hair.
When hair shines, reflecting a light-show of rich, subtly shifting
hues, it is the most beautiful natural fiber in existence. More
stunning than fine silks. Like butterfly wings or peacock feathers, it
literally glows. Picture a stunning blonde on a grey winter sidewalk
in NYC. Everyone is dressed in black and other drab tones; heavy wools
and tweeds, gloves and hats…  She is a luminous pearl in a frozen,
dark sea and people are literally startled when they see her, like
deer caught in headlights… Captivated! Amidst the bleak cityscape, she
is her own light source.  I have seen men look up and involuntarily
gasp, caught in a moment of surprise, when women like this walk by.
And don’t think it’s NOT the hair! Trust me, if the same woman walked
by in a cap, nobody would have the same response.

Hair color has the ability to irridesce, because both the pigments and
the hair itself have a transluscent quality. Pigments can be layered,
and warm and cool tones even juxtaposed. The fact that the artistic
medium is so versatile and unique is what I love most about Hair
Color. What’s better than a gorgeous, natural light-show with
enhancements? Our cosmopolitan world is all about enhancements. The
limitless possibilities of expression and change. Everyone who wears
Color and Fashion is a unique muse with special desires.

Single process doesn’t always have to be ALL one color. What makes a
flame flicker and leap alive to the eye of the beholder? What makes a
fiery redhead so incredibly HOT? It’s the variation of shimmering
tones, blending multi-facets. Sectioning techniques can be used to
apply multiple, complimentary formulas, giving hair an iridescent
quality as the style moves. Varying shades shift.  Autumn’s pallet
allures with gold, copper, red-copper, crimson and red-violet shades.
Even the cool power of pewter, platinum and cobalt may find  fierce,
glamorous muses this coming winter!

 I leave you with the logo and the website.