If you just catch a glance of WhiP as you walk past, you’d be forgiven for not realising it’s a hair salon straightaway. With a mix of second-hand furniture, plants, a set of decks and a stash of vinyl, it looks likes (a very cool) somebody’s lounge – it’s only the retro barber chairs that give it away.
WhiP is an organic and eco-friendly boutique hairdressers and barbers with two branches; this salon in Hackney and another inside Hatch in Homerton. They take the eco thing seriously too, stocking vegan products from Evo and Oway, having refillable bottles for shampoos and only serving vegan bevvies.
The Hackney salon really has the chilled vibe down; there are only four chairs so it’s never gonna be packed out with people and a load of hairdryers on full blast. And you relax even more thanks to a great head massage after your hair wash. From the initial consultation to that head massage to the cut itself, we felt in very safe hands (literally) with Creative Director James. He advised us on what would be best for our locks whilst listening to what we actually wanted, cutting enough off to get rid of the dead ends without sacrificing too much length.
And WhiP does way more than hair; the salon has a mini record shop inside and hosts events too, so its a place to hang out even when you’re not whipping your hair back and forth.
7 Morning Ln, London E9 6ND
whiplondon.co.uk