Vogue Hair & Barbers has been a fixture on Williams Street in Kaiapoi since 2010, when owner Lisa Steele-Willetts — nearly 40 years in the hairdressing industry — took on the salon and began building the close-knit team that works there today. The salon's approach is deliberately unhurried: phone calls are minimised so each stylist can focus entirely on your time in the chair, and every appointment is designed to be all about you.
In 2021 the team opened a dedicated barbershop alongside the salon, a quieter expert space built specifically for men's grooming, with more than half the team qualified in barbering. Ladies' hairdressing covers everything from wash-cut-blowdry appointments and full restyles to tinting, toners, half and full-head foils, balayage and the Argila smoothing treatment, while the barbershop handles men's cuts, zero/skin fades and clipper cuts. Children's cuts and special-occasion styling — flat irons, curls and hair-ups — round out the menu.
The team's experience runs deep. Salon manager Merran brings more than 30 years to the floor and is a cutting specialist with a gift for curly hair; salon coordinator and senior stylist Christel perfected her blow wave on cruise ships; Jaimee specialises in long-hair colour; Jess is the resident, detail-obsessed blonde expert; Phakawan is the go-to for elegant event updos; and Hope is the salon's Argila smoothing expert. Vogue is a proud Colour Me Safe partner salon, and new colour clients complete a patch test before their first in-salon colour. Evening appointments are available by arrangement, Tuesday through Saturday.
Step into Vogue Hair & Barbers on Williams Street and you'll notice something rare: a salon that feels unhurried. Established in 2010, Vogue has grown year after year into one of Kaiapoi's best-known hair destinations, blending a full-service hairdressing salon with a purpose-built barbershop under one roof. The team's philosophy is simple — your appointment should be all about you — which is why calls to the salon are deliberately minimised so your stylist can focus entirely on your time in the chair.
Owner and founder Lisa Steele-Willetts started her hairdressing career in the 1980s and has spent nearly four decades in the industry. She took on Vogue in October 2010 and has built a thriving, close-knit team since. While Lisa is no longer on the tools, she remains close at hand, and salon manager Merran — with more than 30 years of experience — runs the floor day to day. Merran joined in 2011 after the February earthquakes claimed her Christchurch salon, and North Canterbury has been the beneficiary ever since: she's a cutting specialist with a particular gift for curly hair, giving it a fashionable finish without the frizz, and she trains and assesses hair and barber apprentices in her spare time.
In 2021 the team recognised that a salon environment can sometimes be noisy, so they created a separate barber space designed specifically for men's grooming — precision, style and comfort. More than half the team are qualified in barbering. Senior barber Harry has been with Vogue since 2020 and played a key role in setting up the barbershop, later adding barbering experience from as far afield as Sweden. The barber menu runs from classic men's cuts to zero/skin fades and clipper cuts.
Colour is a house strength. Jaimee is the resident long-hair colouring expert, specialising in balayage, root taps and full-head foils, while Ashburton-trained Jess is known as a meticulous blonde expert who works quietly and precisely — quiet appointments are available on request. Foils and balayage packages are inclusive of a toner and a cut-and-blowdry finish, and tint services include a cut and blowdry too. For unruly hair, Hope — a homegrown talent who started at Vogue in 2018 — is the salon's Argila smoothing treatment expert, transforming unmanageable hair into sleek, effortless beauty.
Vogue is a proud Colour Me Safe partner salon, so new colour clients complete a patch test and upload the result before their first in-salon colour. The salon also works with trusted hair care brands including De Lorenzo and Angel.
The team reads like a highlight reel of experience. Christel, salon coordinator and senior stylist, began her career nearly 30 years ago in South Africa and honed her signature blow wave working on cruise ships; her availability is limited, so book early. Phakawan, originally from Thailand, completed her New Zealand hairdressing qualification in 2024 with top marks and is the go-to for elegant, long-lasting event updos, while continuing her precision cutting and working toward her barber qualification. Sofia is the salon's emerging stylist — one to watch as her career develops.
Vogue Hair & Barbers sits at 156 Williams Street, Kaiapoi, open Tuesday to Saturday, with evening appointments available by prior arrangement — ideal if you work through the day. Bookings can be made online, and prices vary between stylists, so the published price guide is exactly that: a guide. Whether you're after a precise skin fade, a flawless blonde, a curly cut that behaves, or a special-occasion updo, there's a chair — and a specialist — waiting for you at Vogue.