Old-timers reminisce about style as celebrated hair salon reopens
WITH retro-style decoration and advanced equipment, the 80-year-old Violet Hair Salon, once a trendsetter for local women, reopened to the public on Monday. The salon is located at the historic Normandie Apartments in downtown Xuhui District.
The hair salon sits on Wukang Road, which has been listed as “China’s famous historic and cultural street” by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
It first opened in 1936 as a symbol of fashion and status for celebrities and high-class people of the time.
After renaming and redecoration on several occasions throughout the decades, the salon underwent drastic repairs in 1989.
With updated equipment, air-conditioning, and the latest style of barber chairs, it led a wave of new fashion trends in Shanghai. The salon was the first in the city to use newstyle hair dryers and perming tools.
Its old top-class hairdresser,
Lu Maosong, has invented and designed special women’s hairstyles such as large waves, lines and blocks, as well as showcased his unique hairdressing skills. All of those hairstyles were once popular in the city.
However, with the emergence of various new barbershops in the city, Violet Hair Salon slowly began fading out of the limelight from 2006.
The salon, which appeared many times in the diary of the famed writer Ba Jin, was an iconic place in the hearts of many old Shanghainese, with an air of mystery.
“At the time, this barbershop was so luxurious for us that we could only look in from the outside and didn’t dare go in and have a haircut,” said a 66year-old woman, who came to see the revamped salon and reminisce about old times.
“When I was young, people came here to style their hair only on important occasions such as wedding. I did my hair here before my wedding.”
Some customers came to fulfill their childhood dreams at the salon’s reopening.
“When I was young, I only looked through the window every time I passed by here, but I could not afford to go in and have a haircut at the time,” said a 53-year-old woman surnamed Xia.
“Now I am retired and it is time to enjoy life,” she said with a big smile.
Its reopening has also attracted many old patrons who were once loyal customers.
“I had my hair cut here once; I can never forget it,” said a 73year-old man, surnamed Zhu, who lives nearby.
He shared his memorable experience.
“I was lying there, and the old hairdresser helped me cut hair and shave my face, and he was surrounded by many apprentices learning nearby.” Zhu recalled. “I still can’t forget his exquisite haircutting skills.”
The salon also welcomed some young customers.
“We learned about the reopening of this place from the news, and we drove here to try it,” said a 25-year-old woman, who accompanied her boyfriend to have a haircut. “Violet Hair Salon was very famous for its cutting and shaving skills in the past.”
Since the Wukang Building has become an Internet-celebrity landmark, its owner, Shanghai New Xuhui Group, has striven to restore the original historical appearance of its surroundings.
“This place arouses many people’s nostalgic feelings,” said Fan Mingzhao, the managing director of the salon.
As part of the decoration process, in addition to adding historical elements, the salon also installed high-tech equipment to enhance customer experience, Fan added.
“The hair-washing machines we use are currently the most advanced in the world,” he told Shanghai Daily. “The chairs can be adjusted according to customers’ needs and the movable washbasins eliminate customers’ need to walk or move when they have their hair washed.”