Hair stylist Artur Kirsh to open Narberth and Center City studios following Bala Cynwyd Saks closure
Kirsh said he will give his Philly-area clients the "best of both worlds" with locations on the Main Line and in Center City.
Hair stylist Artur Kirsh, who has long served clients out of his Saks Fifth Avenue salon in Bala Cynwyd, will be relocating to Narberth in April as Saks prepares to close. Kirsh will open a second salon at Boyds in Center City this fall.
Kirsh’s relocation comes after Saks Global, the owner of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, announced the closure of numerous department stores, including the Bala Cynwyd Saks, in February. Saks Global filed for bankruptcy in January.
Kirsh said he was surprised to hear about the closure, but decided to take the opportunity to “do something huge” and open two new studios, expanding his presence in the region.
Kirsh will open Artur Kirsh Hair Studio, his new Narberth location, in April at 948 Montgomery Ave. He described the studio as “very artsy” and “very hip.” The Narberth outpost will have ample parking, a “fun and intimate” vibe, and will allow clients to move beyond traditional salon hours and schedule based on their availability, according to a news release. Kirsh called the Narberth studio a “boutique concierge salon concept.”
The hair stylist will continue to see clients at Saks through March to ensure a “seamless transition” ahead of the department store’s closure in April.
Kirsh said he chose Narberth because it’s minutes from his old Saks studio and would allow him to maintain some continuity for Main Line clients.
Kirsh will also expand his footprint in Center City in September, where he plans to open Artur Kirsh Salon on the fourth floor of Boyds department store at 1818 Chestnut St.
“I’ll have best of both worlds,” he said. “I’ll have the suburbs and the city.”
Though the changes happened quickly, Kirsh said he’s ultimately looking forward to the next chapter.
“When you’re in an old place, you kind of get stale,” he said. “Things happen for a reason.”
Kirsh was born and raised in Russia and moved to New York in the mid-1990s. After training at a Manhattan salon, Kirsh relocated to the Philadelphia area. He has worked out of the Bala Cynwyd Saks for six years. Kirsh specializes in coloring and “dry cutting” and describes himself as the ”go-to stylist for models and local celebrities."
In addition to his Bala Cynwyd salon, Kirsh sees clients at the Rittenhouse Spa & Club in Center City, John Barrett Salon in New York City, and Oasis Salon & Med Spa in Boca Raton, Fla. Over the years, Kirsh has styled a number of celebrity clients, including Dorinda Medley, Betsey Johnson, Carolina Herrera, Celine Dion, Kathy Griffin, and Ken Downing.
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