Arielle Meier, 31

Photograph: Beth Levendis

Who: Arielle Meier, 31
Where: Serenity Salon (458 West Broadway between W Houston and Prince Sts, No. 2; 212-598-1182)
Services: $90 for a cut, includes blow-dry; blowout alone $60; wedding upon request

How did you come to the scissor and comb?
I moved to New York to be a ballet dancer and gave myself a two-year time limit to make it. Eventually I quit dancing… I have always loved playing with hair and makeup, and when I asked my best friend what I should do with my life, she [suggested it]. I went to school at the Aveda Institute and then I worked at Arrojo studio. Nick Arrojo was my mentor.

What Not to Wear! Did he inform your approach to cutting hair? What is it?
My philosophy is that everybody is beautiful. A good haircut is about bringing out a person’s natural beauty and helping them look the best that they can look. I’ve always had that feeling, but my training has helped me to really come to that.

Have you developed a specialty?
The reason I love hairdressing is because I love doing all different types of hair: curly hair, short hair, thick hair, long hair. The diversity of it really challenges me. I am a razor-cutting specialist, but I use other tools as well. My approach is using the right tool for the right hair type for the best results.

What does a client get with you that makes you stand out?
I think it’s really important to listen to what people want. I try to give my clients what they want but with my own touch. If someone wants to keep their hair long I’ll do that, but I’ll find a way to really open up their face too. I’m also really aware of giving people haircuts that last—I want to see my client in 8 to 12 weeks at the earliest.

If we see one more Katie Holmes bob, we’re going to vom. What is the most overplayed style?
There isn’t one. I don’t believe in trends. I really do believe that anything can work on anybody at any time. It’s just a matter of me making that work for them.

Client faux pas: What pisses you off?
The only thing that pisses me off is when clients don’t respect my time. I try to respect everyone’s time 100 percent by running on schedule and being ready for their appointment. The only thing that gets under my skin is when people cancel without 24 hours notice or they don’t show.

Do you find the stylist-client relationship ever gets too close for comfort?
I feel like I have a relationship with a lot of my clients, so we talk. I’m happy to be quiet as well—I think it’s really a personal preference.

When a client comes in and resolutely wants something you know will look awful on them, what do you do?
I give them other choices—something else that will work better. For the most part, any haircut will look good on anybody—that’s where I come in with my professional eye and my technique. But if you [Jordana] came to me with a picture of a fine, straight-haired bob…we’d have to talk about it.

Don’t remind me of my cruel curly genes please! Serenity is an independent salon—you aren’t beholden to any governing haircutting philosophy. What’s in it for the client?
I feel like my clients are able to get the same great, professional service and haircut without me being in a stressed-out environment. Faces are familiar, people say hello. My clients don’t feel like it’s a conveyor belt.

You’re also not obliged to use (or hard sell) any house products. What’s in your handpicked arsenal right now?
Right now I’m really loving a product called Living Proof. It was created by scientists at MIT and it’s no-frizz. They make it for all different hair types. I don’t love it as much for curls, but I find when blow-drying straight, the hair feels natural and it has body. Kiehl’s herbal shampoo for normal to dry hair and Formula 133 conditioner and Grooming Aid are amazing, I will send people to get that. The shampoo is so clean, and it doesn’t wear the hair down.

So who cuts your hair?
One of my colleagues, Logan—he’s fantastic.

If you’re booked, who would you send a client to?
Everybody who I work with at Serenity is great: Shannon, Elena and Jesus do hair color and they are amazing. Cynthia and Logan are two other haircutters who are really great. I think that we all have the same sensibility.

—Interview by Jordana Rothman

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