Renowned salon Femme Coiffure Hair Spa join the high-end ranks at the Shops at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach.

By Elizabeth Joyce
Photography by Craig Denis

The Ritz-Carlton ushered in a new era of elegance when it brought its refined touch to South Beach, promising its high standard of personal service that aims to anticipate each guest’s wishes before they are expressed. In welcoming Femme Coiffure Hair Spa to its DiLido Shops, the grand hotel aims to do just that. Femme Coiffure, the unique creation of the Reboh brothers, is a revolutionary hair spa that brings personalized and scientific treatments to the traditional excellence of luxury hair styling.

After studying in France and London, Raphael, Daniel, and Marcel opened their first Femme Coiffure Salon & Spa in Montreal in 1978. Since then, the brothers, along with their sister Flory, have opened exclusive salons in Toronto, Montreal, Boca Raton, and Bal Harbour. With their recent expansion, the family has divided up management of the spas. Marcel and Flory run the Femme Coiffure and Spa in Bal Harbour. Raphael is busy with the new South Beach projects, which includes the Femme Coiffure Hair Spa in South Beach as well as a new academy at the Sanctuary hotel that will specialize in training established stylists in the specific Femme Coiffure technique. Daniel is in charge of running the Canadian spas in Montreal and Toronto. With a classic sensibility, the siblings have shaped creative hair design for two decades. Iconic coifs credit Femme Coiffure with their foundation-Sophia Loren, Lauren Bacall, Candice Bergen, Uma Thurman, and Claudia Schiffer are just a few names connected with the ultra-luxe salons.

The new salon in South Beach will feature the coveted René Furterer line, which Raphael has worked with over the years and found to be unequalled. “This company has been around for 40 years. It is based on oils, plants, and natural extracts only found in Europe that work with the hair, not to make it soft for one day but to make it soft for life,” he says. He goes on to make an analogy between the roots of the French company and its products to the singularity of French winemaking grapes. “The ingredients are exclusive. They have a history and a provenance that is simply impossible to duplicate.”

The experts at René Furterer teamed with the owners of Femme Coiffure to create the ultimate beauty machine: a computer that generates a detailed and scientific analysis of an individual’s hair in order to determine how to treat it. The function of the machine is to determine which products and treatments are necessary to unlock the potential of each fiber. Raphael is very excited to bring this to Miami. “This does not exist anywhere else,” he says, “and it will change the way people treat their hair in general.”

The harmony of art and science is an ongoing theme at the Femme Coiffure Hair Spa. Raphael told Haute Living about the exclusive laser technology that will be available. “This is a huge development in the field,” he explains. “The laser stations harness the power of wavelength stimulation to energize hair cells, encouraging them to restart the growing process. A capilliscope gathers valuable information about hair and scalp conditions and the lasers stimulate both hair growth and hair health by encouraging healthy circulation. The lasers are also used to treat the cuticles.” Also available are the latest in extensions, Japanese straightening, and other cutting-edge technologies.

The salon itself is a hushed sanctuary. Ten-foot high waterfalls provide relaxing ambiant noise while the pristine white walls and reflective glass accent the lustrous salon. A private VIP room accessible through a back entrance ensures discretion for prized clients. Raphael emphasizes the entirety of the experience at his salon. “Our clients are encouraged to make this an enjoyable lifestyle experience, and thanks to our location at the Ritz, that is very easy for them to do. If they are visiting from out of town, they can stay at the hotel, and they have access to best of Miami all in one place.”

Raphael’s outlook stretches far into the future of the industry in general. “Young stylists today do not have the nuanced artistic training of the older generation,” he says. “This is how the idea for the academy was born. Students will come from all over the world, students who already have a fairly high level of training, and stay at The Sanctuary Hotel for an intensive three-day program. They will study everything from hair types, to coloring techniques, to specific instruments, and hopefully return to their own salons with a much deeper understanding of the art of hair care.”

The Femme Coiffure Hair Spa represents an exciting addition to South Beach. With a focus entirely on the field of hair care, and a very special address, the salon is destined to become a nexus of innovation.

Femme Coiffure Hair Spa
305.864.4400
www.femmecoiffure.com