Méche Hair & Academy is a luxury hair salon on Gloucester Street in Taradale, Napier — a salon that places itself at the forefront of Hawke's Bay's hair scene, created for clients who value quality, sophistication and style both in the salon chair and through salon-loved products they can use at home. It is a straightforward promise, and it shapes the way the team works with every client who books in.
The salon describes itself as Hawke's Bay's award-winning hair salon, and its current form carries real weight. The New Zealand Hair Awards have announced their 2026 finalists, and Méche holds nine finalist entries across its team — a huge result for Mel, Mia, Poppy, Nicci and Isabella, who the salon congratulates by name. The whole team plans to attend the awards night in Wellington on 1 November 2026, where the winners will be announced, and they are celebrating the achievement together as a Méche family while sharing the journey on their social channels.
On the services side, the newest addition is nanoplasty — a smoothing treatment aimed at long-lasting straight hair, 100% frizz elimination and high-impact gloss with hydration locked in. Rather than booking blind, clients are invited to book a consultation, online or in salon, so the team can talk through whether the treatment suits their hair before committing.
Méche is also proud to be the only stockist in Hawke's Bay of the newly reimagined Sebastian Professional range — a globally relaunched line with a fresh look and the iconic salon-quality formulas its fans love. The shelves and the online shop cover styling (strong-hold and light-hold hairsprays, matte clays and texture sprays, volumising mousse and gels), the No.Breaker bond-repair line built on apple acid technology for stressed hair, and the Volupt range for fine hair, alongside a dry shampoo for in-between washes. Gift vouchers are available, making the salon an easy choice for anyone gifting a great hair day.
Méche Hair & Academy sits on Gloucester Street in Taradale, and it makes its ambitions clear from the first hello: this is a luxury hair salon built for clients who value quality, sophistication and style. The team places itself at the forefront of Hawke's Bay's hair scene, serving clients in the salon and far beyond it through an online shop of salon-loved products. It is a simple idea, but it shapes everything about how the salon works — from the treatments on the menu to the brands on the shelves.
Méche calls itself Hawke's Bay's award-winning hair salon, and the current season gives that claim fresh weight. The New Zealand Hair Awards have announced their 2026 finalists, and the salon holds nine finalist entries across its team — with congratulations flowing to Mia, Mel, Poppy, Nicci and Isabella by name. The whole group is heading to the awards night in Wellington on 1 November 2026, where the winners will be announced, and the salon is treating the nine entries as a milestone to celebrate together as a Méche family.
For clients, it is a useful signal about the calibre of hands their hair ends up in. National finalist recognition across multiple team members suggests a bench of stylists working at a high level, not just one standout — and the team is sharing the behind-the-scenes journey on its social channels in the lead-up to the night.
The big news in salon is nanoplasty. If you want long-lasting straight hair, 100% frizz elimination, and high-impact gloss with hydration locked in, the team says nanoplasty may be for you. Rather than pushing anyone into the chair blind, Méche invites curious clients to book a consultation first — online or in salon — so the treatment can be matched to your hair type and goals. It is a smoothing service aimed squarely at people tired of fighting frizz, promising sleekness that holds and shine that looks healthy rather than heat-stressed.
One thing genuinely sets Méche apart from other salons in the region: it is the only stockist in Hawke's Bay of the newly reimagined Sebastian Professional range — a globally relaunched line with a fresh look and the iconic salon-quality formulas its fans love.
On the styling side, that means Reshaper Strong Hold Hairspray with 24-hour humidity resistance and UV protection; Shaper Zero Gravity, a light-hold, barely-there spray made with fine hair in mind; Craft Clay for matte, piecey definition; Texture Maker, a salt-crystal spray for reworkable texture; the Texturizer bodifying liquid gel; Shine Define with satin sheen and heat protection to 220°C; Mousse Forte for curls and waves without the crunch; the Microweb Fiber texturizer that remoulds any style; and Drynamic+ dry shampoo for refreshed second-day hair.
For stressed, overworked hair, the No.Breaker line leans on apple acid technology to build bonds and defend against breakage — a pre-shampoo crème, a nourishing bonding shampoo, a melting mask for damage repair, and two hybrid stylers (a treatment spray and a leave-in cream) that bond-build while you style, with heat protection up to 230°C on the cream. Fine hair gets its own fan club in the Volupt range: a thickify mousse with airy liquid-to-foam tech, plus a volumising shampoo and conditioner for light, silky fullness.
Everything is available in salon and through the online shop, so favourites can be restocked from home — and gift vouchers make the salon an easy answer when someone on your list deserves a great hair day.
Booking is straightforward: the BOOK NOW link on the website takes you straight into the salon's online booking system, and consultations can be arranged the same way for bigger changes like nanoplasty. If you want a feel for the place before you visit, Méche is active on Instagram and Facebook as @mechehairnz, sharing behind-the-scenes moments and the road to the awards.
What emerges is a salon that takes its craft seriously without taking itself too seriously — a team good enough to earn nine national finalist places, still celebrating like a family, backing its work with products it trusts enough to stock exclusively, and serving Taradale with the polish its clients come back for.