The location of the salon is already telling of its unconventional nature. The salon itself is interestingly located at the second floor of the Rockwell Power Plant. As you turn into the corner where O Cafe is located, a teal wall greets Basement visitors who are welcomed by a vintage leather barber chair by the entrance. An ironic greeting to a salon experience that is anything but vintage. As you enter, you can’t help but think that you just stepped into a real chic loft.
Who’s responsible for this? Miguel Rosales and Ian and Leah Bautista were the design team who made sure that design did not precede function. "The layout is non-linear unlike most salons. You don’t feel exposed. The spaces reveal themselves individually and don’t assault you when you walk in," Miguel says about the salon’s layout. The interiors themselves are beyond fetching. There are no chintz or saccharine pastels to cringe over. Instead, you see simple lines and solid forms adorned with a few well-chosen pieces. It is arresting without being intimidating, "It has warmer, streamlined interiors with an edge. The design nods to mid-century modernism without being literal," Miguel describes.
Formerly located at Palanca Street in Salcedo Village, the salon earned its reputation by its inimitable seven color highlighting service manned by Manfred Spiering, who by the way, is one of the owners of Basement. Models and the city’s renowned beauties passed on this secret info for achieving prism-hued locks like an encrypted CIA recipe for a chemical bomb. Its discreet location at the Power Plant hints of the salon’s desire to remain quiet, discreet and private. Not that I’m saying there is a velvet rope and a bouncer at the entrance, but really do you want a hairdryer-buzzed environment wherein the only aromatherapy available in the place is the stench of perm chemicals?
Fritz Webb, co-owner of Basement, prides in the salon’s way of doing hair. "We take at least 45 minutes to an hour in cutting hair. It’s the way to do cuts accurately." He also prides in the salon’s novel service which is my idea of 15 minutes of paradise – the tanning bed. "The salon itself is designed to create a creative atmosphere making it the perfect place for the hairdresser to work in. We try to provide clients with a relaxed and hip vibe," says Fritz. He did fail to mention that the salon also renders understated luxury as clients ease and relax not just on any old chair. Most of the chairs in the salons are designed by Philippe Starck. Even the mirrors were shipped from abroad. This, of course, is just another facet of the Basement team’s quest for uncompromising quality and perfection.
Aside from the fab decor, the special thing about Basement is its eclectic atmosphere which Fritz attributes to the people who fill the salon. "It’s the combination of the look of the salon with the people that work there together with the diversity of the clients."
If the Impressionist world had Monet and the Expressionist world had Gauguin, the hair world has Manfred Spiering. Thank God for our beaches, for it has seduced one of the hair industry’s greatest talents to take in residency in our country. Manfred used to run one of the more popular salons in Munich. He was then lured to the Philippines and stayed for a year in Boracay. This is where he met Fritz, who eventually became his industrial partner for Basement. "I just saw that there was a lack of education in terms of styling and haircare. I decided to share what I have learned from Vidal Sassoon and Toni and Guy. I adjusted what I know from European high-end haircare to Filipino tastes." Manfred has no qualms about making the Philippines his second home. "Here, I service my dream clients, all friendly, fun and entertaining. I also like the fact that we operate a full-service salon. In Europe, we usually attend to just hair. It makes the experience more relaxing," says Manfred.
Fritz and Manfred also pride themselves in having basically the same staff intact since they started in 1995. "I just get a sense of pleasure when I see how our trained junior staff has progressed over the years," beams Manfred. The two also attribute Basement’s distinctive quality regarding service and innovation through education and background. In an era where every bored matrona decides to open a salon for the heck of it, a client usually leaves the place looking like a relic from That’s Entertainment. The Basement team is so accomplished that several beauty salons have already approached them to give out salon training seminars. "When you come in, you really know what they’re doing. They take time to study your hair’s texture and how it falls. They just don’t take in any trendy hue, they study your face, coloring and even lifestyle, before they slap something on your head," says one very satisfied and devoted Basement client.