A Fresh Take On Hair

Owner/Stylist, Harley DiNardo spent the early part of his career as a hair stylist running a salon called Shampoo on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. During this time, he also pursued a career as a singer and guitarist with the rock groups Closer and White Light Motorcade. Both bands achieved some success and released several albums. However, his work as a stylist proved to be more lucrative than the downtown New York City music scene, leading him to open a second Shampoo location in Jersey City. He later owned a salon called HAIR at Trancas, but unfortunately, the Woolsey Fires and the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to continue, prompting him to move back to New York, where he continued his work in hair styling. Despite reflecting on what could have been, he returned to Malibu with a renewed desire and energy to finish what he started.

“My main strength is knowing how people like to look. My tagline is ‘hair you wear.’ I’m not posting fancy sectioning techniques. What matters is how you look and how you feel. At the end of the day, that’s what’s important. I want to create a style that works well with how you dress, the shape of your face, and who you are,” he explains. “It makes me feel good when people feel good about how they look. I become like family with my clients.”

While Hairacana is a full-service salon, it specializes in colors and cuts, including barbering for men. DiNardo notes that the hair-painting technique called balayage is currently very popular: “I do a lot of those, as well as foil highlights. We offer all types of color.”

DiNardo is particularly enthusiastic about a product line from a company based in Parma, Italy, called Davines, which emphasizes environmental sustainability. The manufacturing plant is powered by wind energy, ingredients are sourced from local farms, and the packaging is biodegradable. “It smells incredible and is good for the hair as well.”

The salon is open for appointments from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, but “the hours will expand as we go.”