It’s what I pictured a salon to be and how it should look. It is years of collecting all this information and finally having somewhere to put it.
Danny Jelaca, acclaimed hairstylist, has been working on South Pointe for 20 years. After working at a number of different salons, he realized none of them had the atmosphere he was looking for. Jelaca wanted the complete package: a posh interior, customer service, excellent location, amazing hair stylists, and maybe even a little champagne. And so, Jelaca followed his heart and recently opened his truly exquisite namesake salon in the Shops at Portofino tower at South Beach’s South Pointe.
“It has always been my dream to offer a certain type of salon that has a luxury, high-end, exclusive feel.” His vision was to create a boutique salon with an intimate feel to it. “I wanted to be able to control the experience: the music, the look, the feel and even the way it smells. That seems to be lacking here.”
When Jelaca decided to open his very own salon, people had told him he picked the wrong city if perfection was what he was seeking. If he expected things to run well they said LA, New York or Chicago were better options. Jelaca felt differently, “It can exist here,” he says. “I really want to be someone who makes a mark here and brings a change; a change with elegance and style.”
Danny Jelaca Salon settled upon a diminutive space which he designed to look a delicate jewelry box. It includes cove ceilings, crystal chandeliers, button-tufted wall panels and sleek porcelain floors that give it a cozy yet airy feeling. “I am the interior designer. I worked with an architect, [but I] designed the interior. I had all of this bottled up inside. It’s what I pictured a salon to be and how it should look. It is years of collecting all this information and finally having somewhere to put it. It was like an art project for me.”
Now that it is up and running, magic is happening. Jelaca recently styled the hair of Ivanka Trump, who used to go to him in the 90s, Padma Lakshmi, and his appointment book is full. Clients call him not just for great cuts and color, but for glamour: up-dos and looks made for red carpets, runways and editorials. He insists on using the best products on the market, which he feels are by Leonor Greyl, one of the most exclusive products in the world. Leonor Greyl is still a family owned business, with a loyal celebrity following including Madonna and Jennifer Aniston and Jelaca’s customer, Padma Lakshmi.
Aside from the breathtaking Salon, Jelaca is every excited about his staff. “Everyone has something unique to offer; from the front desk and the assistant who are all trained, to the colorist and stylists. There is a philosophy that comes with hair and they share it.”
