The best hair salons in Melbourne, according to FJ’s editors
IMAGE VIA @jisusalon/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY MAEVE KERR-CROWLEY and fashion journal
The Melbourne salons we’ve tried, so you can trust.
Whether your fringe is drooping into your eyes, your roots need a touch-up or you’re looking to completely reinvent your look, finding a hairdresser you can trust is the key to achieving your dream hair. Fortunately, Melbourne is brimming with salons and stylists who know their way around a head of hair.
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From shiny natural colours and on-trend cuts to experimental rainbow shades, there’s a stylist somewhere in the city who’s an expert. To help you find the location for your next appointment, we’ve pulled together a list of some of the best salons in Melbourne.
Madison’s World
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Madison’s World is the brainchild of beloved Melbourne hairdresser, Madison Finn. A favourite of Northside creatives, she’s known for her vibrant colours and unconventional cuts, something she touched on when she shared a glimpse of her kit. “My work pushes the limits with bright fun colours, but in a sophisticated, grown-up way. It’s hot, cool, sexy and fun, all at once,” she said. And who wouldn’t want to be all those things at the same time?
506 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne
Stache
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Stache’s philosophy is simple: it’s about creating hair ‘that embraces creativity and elevated simplicity for the every day’. Its sleek, Brunswick East salon (really, it’s very sleek) is zero-waste, low-carbon and gender-neutral. What more could you want?
Level 1/158 Lygon Street (Entrance via O’Connor Street), Brunswick East
Donna Sheridan
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Fitzroy salon Donna Sheridan is all about ‘great, everyday hair’, and it really makes good on that promise. It’s become the salon to go to if you’re looking for a contemporary, effortlessly cool cut, and as an added bonus, it’s also sustainable.
71 Kerr Street, Fitzroy
Jisu
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Whether you want a new look, experimental style or something classic, Jisu can do it all. Every appointment begins with a personalised consultation (bring photos!), where you can talk your hairstylist through your vision, or seek their advice. Then, sit back in the tranquil space and let the magic happen.
Level 6/94 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
Josh Wood Salon
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Not only does Mecca’s Bourke Street flagship offer piercings and clinical skin treatments, you can also leave with a fresh blow-out courtesy of Josh Wood Salon. A world-renowned British hair colourist, this salon is the only Josh Wood outpost in Australia, giving you the chance to experience his entire product range in-salon. Book in for a haircut, colour or styling.
Mecca, Floor 1/295 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Salon Spaghetti
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Tucked behind Jewell Station in Brunswick you’ll find Salon Spaghetti, with founder and director Alex Newman at the helm. Years of experience and a strong background in fashion styling mean you can trust the team here to nail your brief – whether you’re after a curly cut, a colour change or simply a beautiful blowout. Plus, it’s FJ-editor approved!
11/9 Wilson Avenue, Brunswick
Weiss Hair
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Founded by hairstylist Brooke Weiss, Weiss Hair is a small salon based in Armadale. Head here for a lived-in blonde, brunette highlights and cascading, face-framing layers.
Suite 6, 921-927 High Street, Armadale
Gag Hairdressing
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Dedicated to making you feel ‘hot, sexy and fresh’, Gag Hairdressing is a new hair salon in the heart of Fitzroy. From eyebrow bleaching to step fringes and ‘just the tip’ colour, Gag is the go-to for unconventionally beautiful hair.
236 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Mitch Studio
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With two locations in Ashburton and Fairfield, Mitch Studio offers a bespoke, modern experience every time you walk through the door. Both salons are staffed by an experienced and creative team that’s full of personality and passionate about making you feel your best. Mitch’s sustainability ethos also means that waste reduction and cruelty-free, environmentally hair products are always a priority.
166 High Street, Ashburton
282 Wingrove Street, Fairfield
Berry Hair
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If you’re looking to nurture your natural hair texture, then pay a visit to Berry Hair Studio in Abbotsford. Set in a beautiful space the salon welcomes anyone and everyone and tops off your appointment with a glass of chilled red. Plus, there’s the additional option of adding on a ‘Pay If Forward Haircut’ – a service that provides free hair appointments to refugee women.
Ground Level, 344 Johnston Street, Abbotsford
Edwards and Co
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For a glamorous, celebrity-endorsed salon experience, head to one of the two Edwards and Co locations in Melbourne. Home to some of the city’s most refined hairstylists and makeup artists, the salon specialises in rich colours that last gracefully, touchable texture and a coveted ‘rich-girl hair’ look.
26 St Edmonds Road, Prahran
Entry on, 230 Brunswick Street, Street David Street, Fitzroy
Telleish Hair Studio
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A luxury experience with a sustainable touch, Telleish is the salon for those wanting gorgeous hair that doesn’t cost the planet. The Telleish team includes stylists, colourists and precision cutters with a range of experience and specialisations, so no haircut is too hard (or too bold). The salon boasts a New York-loft style as well, with a spacious layout and retro details.
G01/89 Gladstone Sreet, South Melbourne
Dan Collins Hair
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Tucked in away the creative haven that is the Nicholas Building, you’ll also find freelance hairdresser Dan Collins, who offers everything from short and spiky mullets to natural, sun-kissed blondes. Taking a seat in Dan’s chair is like sitting with your best friend, except they’re a professional hairdresser with all the haircare knowledge you could dream of.
Level 3 Nicholas Building, 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Alchemy Salon
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Alchemy is an eco conscious, gender neutral, LGBTQIA+ salon located in the heart of Collingwood. It’s led by Becc Snow, who has 15 years experience in the industry, and a talented team of colourists, stylists and haircutters. Whether you’re after a classic cut and colour, or want a bold new look, no style is off limits.
414 Smith Street, Collingwood
Shibui
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A down-to-earth salon that’s worth the hype, Shibui takes an intuitive approach to hair. Up to date on the latest in fashion but intentionally unpretentious, the team is all about tapping into what makes every client unique and finding the perfect look to bring that individuality out. Expect to leave with an uncontrived style that’s easy to keep looking its best.
139 Toorak Road, South Yarra
Delilah Hair Studio
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At Delilah Hair Studio, nothing’s off the table. The salon’s specialty, however, is curly hair. Having coined its own phrase in ‘intentional tizz’, Delilah works with your curls instead of against them using the art of dry cutting. You’ll be treated to one-on-one attention the entire time you’re in the chair, with no worry that your stylist will dart off mid-appointment to deal with other clients.
2/414 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
Everyday Salon
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Stache’s sister salon, Everyday, offers ‘everyday simplicity’ with a zero-waste, carbon-neutral approach to hair. Taking a natural, minimalistic approach to styling, Everyday is a great option for those looking for a low-maintenance ’do, some lived-in colour or a textured cut.
169 Sydney Road, Brunswick
Lndn
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Located on Melbourne’s bustling Smith Street, Lndn is the latest salon venture by internationally renowned Australian hairdressers Jamie Furlan and Danni Solier. The salon is inspired by the duo’s time spent in London; taking inspiration from the city’s iconic underground scenes and grimy subcultures. Expect to leave Lndn with editorial-ready hair.
326 Smith Street, Collingwood
Neel Loves Curls
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Melbourne’s original curly hair salon, Neel Loves Curls is the spot for hydrated, frizz-free locks. Neel specialises in cuts that compliment your natural curl pattern and can leave you with the tools – and products – to help recreate the curl magic at home.
399 B Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Lola Fortune
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Located in Carlton North, Lola Fortune is an eco-friendly salon that feels like a calming sanctuary, with plenty of natural light, greenery, and complimentary herbal teas on offer. The stylists here are warm and welcoming, and specialise in curly cuts, lived-in colour and wash-and-wear styles.
302 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North
In search of a new hairdresser? Try this advice.
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