Press

GREENWICH TIME COVER

September 12 2017

When passers-by glance into the soon-to-be completed front windows of Maison D’Alexandre on Lewis Street, owner Alexandre Chouery said he hopes they won’t immediately realize it’s a hair salon. “The last thing I wanted it to look like was a hair salon,” Chouery said. “I designed the salon like I want my house.” Chouery, who has around 25 years of experience in the hair salon and styling industry — including training under Paris’ elite Jacques Dessange — opened his new brand Maison D’Alexandre on Lewis Street in July. His build-out of the storefront that once housed Vinoteca Restaurant & Wine Bar isn’t finished, but business has already outpaced his initial forecasts, he said. The unfinished front entrance is planned to debut in a few weeks with a full spa and academy to follow in stages as he gets town approvals. Following nine years as creative director at Greenwich’s Frederic Fekkai salon, Chouery anticipates making a lasting imprint on the hair salon industry with his newest venture. His vision to stand out begins with the salon’s layout and design. Instead of walls lined with styling stations and dryer chairs, Chouery modeled the entrance like a plush library that includes velvet chairs and couches with floor-to ceiling built-in bookshelves and a functioning fireplace. The styling department is meant to feel like a high-end dining room complete with 16-foot long walnut table, custom-designed chairs made in Italy and a bar cart filled with crystal decanters. When clients recline at the shampoo stations, they can admire the ornately decorated ceiling, which Chouery points out to show he’s considered every detail. “Overall, I’ve thought about everything,” he said, adding he directed the salon’s renovations on his own. “I decided to do all the design, because I know my job,” he said. A typical salon “mechanism” Chouery decided to do away with is the front desk where clients would check in. There is a small table that blends into the library, but clients won’t pay there, Chouery said. In his efforts to foster a “seamless experience,” Chouery has clients settle bills at their styling station in a similar fashion as at a restaurant. Work on the Lewis Street structure that also includes significant renovations to its exterior began on March 24. Chouery recalls the date easily because his child was born just a few days before. “I had twins,” he said. “My son was born on the 18th and my brand on the 24th.” Chouery expects the building’s main floor to be finished by early October and in the coming months, he hopes to open a private styling department and spa in the basement. Part three is contingent on receiving the go-ahead from town departments to construct a training academy on the second floor. Finally, he hopes to furnish a private penthouse on the top floor that leads to the rooftop with vantages of Long Island Sound. So far, the salon includes space for 18 stations with the potential to expand to 32 including the spa. In addition to the nearby lot and street parking, Chouery said he’s working on setting up a valet system for clients. In every way, the owner wants to show that he provides “real luxury. My team and I are committed to taking the standard of the industry to a whole new level,” he said. And Chouery isn’t just the boss who will be running the show from behind the scenes; he will work alongside his team, coloring, shampooing and styling clients. “My name is on the door, so I’m making sure the experience is beyond expectations,” he said. It’s his own money that’s invested in building the brand, he said, emphasizing that he isn’t working with any investors on the project. “This is my baby. Would you share your baby?” he said by way of explanation. While Maison D’Alexandre aims to cater to the luxury market, Chouery said it will offer alternative price points that vary depending on the stylist. “It’s not exclusively for wealthy clients,” he said. “I want to reach everybody.” Contact the writer at mbennett@greenwichtime.com; Twitter @Macaela_