Chelsea Leyland
This week, a chic new salon celebrated its downtown debut in NYC: Marie-Lou & D. Owner and founder Dharmendra Manwani invited fashion and beauty insiders for an evening of bubbly, bites, and beauty tips, with Chelsea Leyland on DJ duty. After checking out the Soho space, The Daily chatted with Manwani to hear firsthand what to expect…
Love the space! What brings Marie-Lou & D to Soho?
In my experience working with French and European stylists and products, I realized that clients in all urban cities more or less have the same beauty wants and needs: contemporary, chic, and consistent with their lifestyle. So we needed to create a contemporary atmosphere staffed with fashion and beauty experts. Chic, savvy, fashion-conscious, and unpretentious: This is why we love Soho, and those are women’s and men’s aspirations today.
What was the space before you moved in?
A luxury condo showroom.
What were you up to before opening this salon?
I’m the founder and CEO of Jean Claude Biguine, a popular salon brand in France.
What’s behind the name, Marie-Lou & D?
Marie-Lou is my muse. She’s a modern day Parisian Cinderella who wants to look stylish, chic, and beautiful no matter what age and how many resources she has. She represents the urban and chic modern woman—someone who is global in her approach, just like the products and services at the salon, from Parisian updos, balayage, Japanese products like Shu Uemura, and French spa products from Caudalie.
So how are you setting yourself apart from other salons around here?
We’re bringing brands from all over the globe to offer the chicest services and products to the client in their neighborhood. It’s our mission to help clients identify and appreciate their best features and strengthen those traits, so every individual can express themselves to the world in a distinct way.
What kind of products can we find?
We curate the best in class products from various parts of world—Shu Uemura from Japan, Wella color from Germany, and Caudalie and Perrot Rigot products from France.
And what about the décor?
We draw on the understated elegance of Paris for inspiration. We reflect a fashion-forward brand, but it’s important to us to remain simple and spacious. It also represents the lifestyle of our clients—it’s a place where they can hang out with their friends and family while they’re enjoying the services, and don’t feel that they have to compromise.
What offerings seem to be most popular among chicsters?
Our Beauty & Grooming Day Pass is incredibly popular; it’s a full day that includes color and highlights, cuts, spa treatments, nail services, and waxing.
Maire-Lou & D
345 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013
(212) 390-8666
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- Chelsea Leyland
