As a child in Venice, Italy, Cristiano Cora shadowed his mother, an accomplished hair stylist who inspired him to move to London and train at Vidal Sassoon. He spent 20 years with the internationally renowned network of salons, moving to LA before becoming the creative director at their New York outpost. Today, he heads a handpicked team of stylists at his eponymous salon, where, like Cristiano’s iconic mentor or a bored ghost, they experiment with creating new shapes and silhouettes. They’re inspired by everyone from Grace Jones to Kate Middleton, following an open-minded philosophy that acknowledges hair as a form of self-expression; a fusion of art and technology.

Every aspect of Cristiano’s studio is a reflection of him and the hairstyles he loves: Italian leather chairs fill an avant-garde, all-white space designed with both severe angles and soft curves. Clients settle into futuristic red shampoo chairs, propping their feet on silver footstools as stylists wash their hair with Scharzkoph products. Imported from Parma, Italy, the sustainably produced collection blends natural ingredients with cosmetic technology to help users create one-of-a-kind styles.