On January 2nd, we'll get what we've asked for when Julien Farel opens its doors. Tucked away on the second floor of a Madison Avenue building, this new salon is close enough to DKNY and Barney's to please lunchtime shoppers, but eons away from the street's stiletto-heeled snobbery.

It's the Madison Avenue experience, minus the attitude: there's French in the air, the service is top-notch and best of all, you'll get a great haircut.

Owner Julien Farel, who began cutting hair 19 years ago and spent ten years working with master hairstylist Jacques Dessange, most recently left the Frederic Fekkai Salon, where he had trained since 1994.

Two years ago, he left Fekkai and began the plans to create a place of his own. Farel took with him other talented Fekkai expatriates: Roy Teeluck, who ran Fekkai's Beverly Hills salon and Peter Oon, Color Director at Fekkai's New York Salon.

"We are done with the corporate thing," says Teeluck, explaining the move from his former Hollywood post to New York. While at Fekkai's Hollywood salon Teeluck worked on celebrity clients, but admits he wasn't into the whole scene.

The London-born stylist worked and lived in Paris before coming to the States to work for Jacques Dessange and then Fekkai.

When experience meets modesty, as it does at Julien Farel, the result is a personal, non-intimidating spot to get pampered. The slender space has a modern design. The shampoo chairs are electronically adjustable and gently massage to relieve tension in the client's back.

The most clever part: each hair station will be equipped with a computer and portable phone, so type-A personalities can work while Farel & Co. snip, and type-Bers can surf the net.

A cut with Julien will be $225. The salon will also offer manicures, pedicures and waxing. Julien Farel salon is located at 605 Madison Avenue, 2nd fl. Call 212-888-8988 to schedule an appointment.

The Julien Farel Salon Team

Julien Farel - Proprietor (the real-life story)
After graduating from beauty school 19 years ago, Julien began his career, cutting and styling hair for women in the French Alps to support his skiing habit. While there, he was approached by Jacques Dessange with an offer to teach him how to "really do his job."

He spent 10 years working with Dessange, finally opening a training school for him in New York in 1993. In 1994, he was head hunted by Frederic Fekkai, where he spent 8 years. As "Cutting Designer," he was responsible for overseeing an entire floor of stylists at the Chanel-owned salon. Then, on January 2nd, disillusioned by the industry and on the verge of "dropping out," he decided "New Year, new life" and left Fekkai with no immediate plans.

He leased a room in the basement barbershop at the Pierre Hotel and worked from there. Remarkably, the vast majority of his clients stuck with him, even in this less-than-sexy environment.

He began looking for space of his own and realized he wanted to be part of a team, not a one-man show. Julien joined forces with two exceptionally talented friends: Roy Teeluck, who had run Frederic Fekkai's Beverly Hills salon and Peter Oon, Color Director at the New York salon. They all wanted to focus on service and spend time with customers rather than continue their usual schedules of a cut every 15 minutes and 6 color clients at a time. The vision for a new salon was born.

Julien Farel has worked on editorial and runway for a long list of designers including Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Armani, Calvin Klein, Herve Leger and Emmanuel Kahn. His client roster includes Catherine Deneuve, Carrie Lowell, Peter Gallagher, Yasmin, Bridget Hall, Carly Simon, and Carl Bernstein. A Julien Farel cut will be $225.

Peter Oon - Color Director
A master colorist, Peter has been honing his craft for 12 years. Like so many of the greats, he began his career at Vidal Sassoon. From there he went to work for Roger Thompson at the beloved-but-now-gone downtown Barney's and then joined Frederic Fekkai .

On October 2nd, Peter left his position as "Color Designer" (overseeing an entire floor of colorists) at Frederic Fekkai to join his friend and colleague, Julien Farel.

Peter's philosophy for color is that it should be dimensional. He creates beautiful hair by combining multiple tones that work with a client's natural hair color.

Peter sees red, "There's nothing that turns heads in the streets like a great redhead. Unfortunately, not many people can carry it."Peter loves to do makeovers.

Peter has been quoted in a number of fashion and beauty magazines and his TV appearances include Oprah Winfrey, Regis and Kathy Lee and Maury Povitch. His celebrity clientele includes Sigourney Weaver, Lorraine Bracco, Deborah Fraidwick (CNN anchor) and Tara Lepinski.Highlights with Peter Oon will start at $300 and single process at $150.

Roy Teeluck - Editorial Director Roy worked the Oscars three years running while living in Los Angeles. He has many celebrity clients but prefers not to name names (unless you pry).

Born in London, he left for Paris at 18 to do hair backstage at shows such as Nina Ricci and He then came to New York to work for Jacques Dessange until Frederic Fekkai asked him to move to Los Angeles and run his Beverly Hills salon from its inception.

As Artistic Director, Roy did a lot of editorial work while servicing clients. He cuts hair but loves a highlight here and again to express his full creative talents. His philosophy is simple "I love what I do for a living, creatively I have no limits - making a client feel good and having them walk away looking good is achieving the greatest result for me." A haircut with Roy Teeluck is $190

Hansen and husband Elvin Arvello