On the cutting edge

Sitting in a leather sofa in a brick-walled salon off Guangfu South Road, I'm offered coffee or tea, a bite to eat and a magazine to flip through. If I'd like, I could also tinkle away at the ivories of a grand piano sitting in the corner. What I really want, though, is a few minutes with Dick Liu (劉文飛), the creative director of H Park Salon and the man whom I'm told is Taipei's stylist to the stars.

For that I have to wait. I'm here on the recommendation of Sarah Chen (陳雅芬), editor-in-chief of Salon News magazine. Asked for a list of Taipei's top-shelf coiffeurs, Chen provided me with four names and a caveat; "There are a lot of excellent stylists in town."

Indeed. Chen estimates that Taipei City alone has at least 5,000 hair salons. The county likely has that many again. A walk down Nanjing East Road in just the two blocks west of Zhongshan Road offers over a dozen from which to choose. Many more line the back alleys.

Where Los Angeles has its plethora of psychiatrists, Taipei has at least as many hairstylists. It might seem an odd comparison, but the two perform the same service; walk in feeling blue, leave feeling better.

Having lived in both cities, I'm of the opinion that Taipei's hairstylists are more effective.

And quite a bit cheaper. The going rate for a shampoo and trim from one of Taipei's several chain-salon operations is under NT$500. However, if it's the best you're looking for, the price rises higher even as your precious tresses fall to the floor.

For this reason, Chen asked that her list of who's "best" rather be considered a list of "leaders" in the industry. Liu she dubbed the "celebrity favorite" for the number of A-list actors and singers who have him on speed dial. She gave "leader in street fashion" honors to Tsai Wen-hai (蔡文海), owner of the Yellow Ted chain of salons.

"Street fashion," in Chen's words, because of the ease of getting a time slot in one of Tsai's chairs. With nine Yellow Ted branches in Taipei City, Tsai's empire may not reach the four corners of the earth, but it does cover three corners of the Nanjing-Zhongshan intersection.

"I opened the first Yellow Ted on Zhongshan Road in 1981," Tsai said. "We grew out of it and I opened another around the corner. We eventually grew too big for that one too and so I opened another down the street."

Asked how many employees staff his style empire, Tsai revealed his management strategy and, likely, the reason he is the leader in street fashion. "They aren't employees," he said. "They're students. Stylists begin as apprentices and, after three to five years, become stylists themselves. We've been able to grow through word-of-mouth alone. I don't advertise."

As for Taipei's "leading female hairstylist," Chen gave a nod to Blanche Lu (陸小曼), the 28-year-old boss of Essensuals. After talking with her, it's no wonder why.

"I'm very much a person with a plan," Lu said. "I was never drawn to hair or beauty when I was young, but since the day I saw I had skill, I began a pursuit to be the best."

Lu said the same ambition that has separated her from the pack is the same thing that keeps her on the cutting edge.

"You have to study," she said. "Stylists in Taiwan are lazy and don't read. If you want to be a professional, you have to keep on top of your profession. No one would go see a doctor who didn't read up on the latest techniques."