Franklin’s, a new salon founded by Jessica Gillin and Xavier Velasquez, has opened on the fourth floor of a historic building in Tribeca. The result is an environment that feels removed from the traditional bustle of a New York hair salon, with an emphasis on space, natural light and a more relaxed experience. “The space was a blank slate,” says Gillin. “Really what we wanted to cultivate for our clients was a space that felt warm and welcoming and not like pretentious. It should feel like somewhere you’d want to hang and chill at.” The salon is unfussy and warm and the team welcoming. “Theres an energy that doesn’t feel like you’re in a factory, but people are busy,” Velasquez explains. “You’re not coming just for a service, you’re coming to hang out, and the service comes with it.” At 2,600 square feet, the salon has 14 chairs and was designed by BOND, who served as both architect and designer for the space. “We wanted to lean into the loft’s industrial history, so we went with a lot of chrome and then added a lot of custom millwork,” says Gillin. “But we’re still in downtown New York, so we wanted the furniture to be laid back and cool and the lighting to be warm and flattering.”
The reception area at Franklin’s
The salon reunites the duo with stylists, colorists and people they’ve worked with before. “That was important to us in order to create a culture in the salon that felt energetically aligned,” says Velasquez. “We wanted to hire friends that we had a good working relationship with but it was also really important to us to foster new talent and bring in other highly regarded stylists and colorists.” Franklin’s carries a curated selection of haircare from Sam McKnight, Blu and Green, Crown Affair, Virtue and RŌZ, giving clients the opportunity to discover some of the names shaping the current conversation around haircare. But hair isn’t the only focus here. In collaboration with Studio Edelman, Franklin’s will host a rotating gallery program, bringing contemporary art into the salon and creating an ongoing conversation between hair, design and culture. The first installment features work by artist Dan Shaw-Town.
Coloring stations at Franklin’s
