MEATSPACE
Umberto Giannini's new London hair salon for women uses tech to appease two elemental fears: falling behind in the daily grind and looking bad. "Before, it was like a therapy session," Giannini says of the traditional dynamic between hairdresser and client. "I wanted to create a new way of working." With floating glass steps set off by pale gray leather-and-steel chairs, the stylish Knightsbridge haircuttery has attracted the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet. But the full-service salon offers much more than head couture - it's been tricked out to double as an office. Swiveling touchscreen monitors are hidden behind sliding mirrored panels at each station, and a wireless mouse lets clients use the computers without getting tangled in cables. Plus, the in-store technology is watching your back. The salon maintains computerized personal profiles complete with before-and-after head shots, and a ceiling-mounted Webcam records the "during" so you can stop the scissors before it's too late.
Umberto Giannini salon: haircuts $55-200. 53 Beauchamp Place, London SW3 (Knightsbridge tube stop). +44 (171) 225 2656.
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