HEAD FIRST

Last Friday, a much coveted wish was granted: Taco Stuiver opened his own Salon, named 10-27 (say: ten twenty-seven). For those who don’t know Taco, he’s one of the most progressive and, above all, talented hairdressers of the Netherlands. When he was 17, he decided to wanted to be featured in Vogue Paris before his 30st. And he succeeded. He was also featured in the Italian, by the way. And the Dutch Elle. He was responsible for hair during the Kenzo, Gaultier and G-star shows and was asked by Mario Testino himself to work with him. He lived in Paris and did the hair of just about anyone who mattered. But success knows its drawbacks, and soon Taco knew too. You probably wouldn’t say so when you see him (Taco is big, has lots hair on his chest, savage upright hair on his head, and a skewed eye that does what it feels like), but deep inside he’s very sensitive and was knocked off-balance by the maddening world of the glitz and the glam. The result: copious amounts of alcohol, insane amounts of drugs, and balancing on the edge of madness. He once said in an interview: “For years, I’ve treated my talents scandalously.”

Taco is BIG, has lots hair on his chest, savage upright hair on his head, and a SKEWED eye that does what it feels like

He left those years behind and Friday was the start of a new beginning. 10-27 is not just a salon, it’s a total concept; a one-stop beauty studio. It may sound a bit vague, but it comes down to the following: do you want a fantastic hairdo? Perhaps some make-up? Glass of wine? Good conversation? Good story? Then 10-27’s the place to be. Taco dislikes the regular hairdressing world. You wont sit in front of a mirror in his salon (“horrible to look at yourself being cut with your silly wet hair and large cloth around your shoulders), and the chairs have been turned in such a way to allow customers to talk. Besides Taco, Ellen Oosterlaar, Quinten Rutgers and Paul Jan Jacobs all cut hair at his salon. Quinten and Taco know each other from Cafe Diep, where Quinten used to be a bartender with Taco glued shut to the bar. They hated each other until they drank whisky one night and Taco decided that Quinten had to be taught by him. And so it was done. Taco taught him everything and Quinten cut his first customer for a beer in the bar. It’s a great example for how Taco sees his trade. And Paul has a similar background. He was a shipper, got in touch with Taco through mutual friends and has been learning the tricks of the trade for a year now. “I cut people, not hair” Taco says.

“horrible to look at yourself being cut with your SILLY WET HAIR and large cloth around your shoulders”

During the opening, photos were taken by top photographer Jan Willem Kaldenbach, Karakter Wijnimport delivered the bottles of red and white, and the sinks are filled with oysters and sashimi. “Everyone wants to work with you if you drop the name Taco Stuiver”, so Warner Strange tells me. He’s the one that started this project with Taco. “This concept will travel around the world, you just wait and see.”

Look, I can be very brief about this, 10-27 truly is too cool. The booze poured lavishly during the opening, we smoked inside, ashes on the floor, the DJ played one after the other great record and Taco was dressed in a stark white rock ’n roll suit, the undisputed champion of the evening. Ellen (you know, Taco’s) cut me two weeks ago so I can’t go again, but I can’t wait to be able to. Some domestic announcements: 10-27 lies in central Amsterdam (Raamsteeg 2), doesn’t have closing hours (that alone is über cool, don’t you agree?), and you can also drop by for only a glass of wine. For appointments, call: 020 422 67 96. Cheers, to Taco. And for a rocking hairdo.