People of Style — Rita Hazan

Ever wonder how Debra Messing achieved that perfect shade of glossy red locks, or how Ashlee Simpson made her seamless transition from dark-haired rocker chick to blonde belle? Simple! They made an appointment with Rita Hazan.

For decades, hair colour has given women and men everywhere the power to transform their appearance, enhance their features – even take years off.

“Changing your hair colour can give you a completely different look,” says colourist Rita Hazan, owner of the renowned Rita Hazan Salon in New York City. “I think it’s fun to experiment with different colours every couple of months until you find something you like. If you don’t like it, it’s hair dye. You can change it anytime you want.”

Hazan’s extraordinary vision and outgoing personality have made her the preferred colourist of over 100 monumental celebrities including Prince, Jennifer Aniston, Kim Cattrall, The Rolling Stones, Celine Dion and Tina Turner. In fact, many of these A-listers have been known to fly Hazan out to meet them wherever they are, because they refuse to have anyone else touch their colour.

Hazan is the proud founder of her own self-titled salon, a 6000-square-foot haven of full-service beauty and exclusivity, where she tends to more than 40 clients each day. “I built my salon from scratch without partners or investors. I did it all myself,” she says.

The experience at the Rita Hazan Salon is lavish from the moment you step inside. Clients are ushered in, offered a drink, loaned a posh laptop if they so desire and escorted to Ms. Hazan, where they have a consultation about what they would like to have done. “I am very honest and blunt, but I think that’s what people come here for – to hear my opinion,” she says.  “Sometimes they like it and sometimes they don’t.”

But it’s probably safe to say that Hazan’s expert opinion is rarely questioned, as she uses her wealth of talent and creativity to create a look that uniquely complements each of her happy customers. With her own signature look, which she describes as “classic with an edge,” Rita Hazan knows a little something about style.

Thanks to her love of 1940s glamour and rock-and-roll (she’s an avid David Bowie fan), Hazan is able to put a trendy spin on classic elegance. “I’m inspired by travel and different cultures, so I like to see what’s going on around the globe and bring a little bit of it back with me,” she says. “I think I get the best ideas in airports because there’s such an eclectic mix of people.”

With a bustling salon, a product line in the works, and a killer collection of shoes, Hazan is living the sweet life. “I get to do what I love every day. I have a great family and amazing friends,” she says. “Even if I dreamt it, I wouldn’t have been able to see this.”

Dolce: What’s in your purse?
Hazan: I have a new lip gloss every minute, a camera, sunglasses and a lot of candy. I’m a candy junky.

Dolce: What’s your favourite city?
Hazan: New York is my number one love.

Dolce: Guilty pleasure?
Hazan: Pizza

Dolce: Favourite designer?
Hazan: I love Yves Saint Laurent.

Dolce: What car do you drive?
Hazan: I don’t drive. I live in Manhattan.

www.ritahazansalon.com