Ae Salon

Ae Salon is a full-floor space of about 1,200 square feet with seven stylist stations and three shampoo bowls. It is a collective of independent stylists and colorists, set up as a shared environment for people who value craft, care and community. Owner Adrian Elwell opened it after the penthouse salon near Union Square where he had worked closed.

The salon's stated mission is to improve clients' hair health, style, color, texture and manageability over time rather than only on the day of a visit. Products are chosen based on how hair responds across several appointments. The core lines are Milbon, Davines and Olaplex, while individual stylists choose their own professional color and smoothing lines, such as Schwarzkopf or Goldwell. The Ae Salon Store sells the professional care and styling products used in the salon.

Services are grouped into cuts, color and treatments. Precision cuts start at $90, with a $15 reduction when the return visit comes five weeks or sooner after the last one. A barbered short crop is $75. Highlights carry an additional charge for color placed between the foils, and balayage and sombre are priced for average hair, with extra for very long or thick hair and for corrective work. A complimentary consultation is offered to plan how to correct a color mistake, which may take more than one appointment. Clients complete an intake questionnaire before the visit, and can upload images with it.

The Milbon 5-Week Treatment Series has four versions (Smooth, Moisture, Repair and Anti-Frizz) and an in-salon portion of about 10 to 15 minutes, followed by five weekly take-home boosters. Milbon and Olaplex treatments can be added to many services, and Olaplex bond-building can be combined with Milbon in one service.

Appointments are booked through an online calendar, and the contact form is used for hard-to-book or longer services. Walk-ins are not taken. Booking at least three days ahead is recommended for weekdays, and Saturdays can fill a month or more in advance. Clients receive an email reminder two days before and can opt in to a text one day before. Cancellations need 24 hours' notice on weekdays and 48 hours on Saturdays; missed appointments without notice are charged half the service price, and no-shows the full price. Tips are optional and generally 10 to 20 percent of the bill.

The salon chooses products according to how hair responds over several appointments, with the aim of steady improvement between visits.