Our summer issue is out now. We chat to Conlemany, Italian Organic Hair Studio in Dun
Laoghaire. Dive on in to find out more…
Join the ‘Handmade’
Revolution
CONLEMANY SHOWS US HOW IT’S DONE
By Alison McEvoy
Conlemany has depth, inspiration, passion and a love of nature and the human being at its core.
Nothing could prepare me for what I found when I walked through the doors at Conlemany, Italian Organic Hair Studio in Dun Laoghaire. As a child I developed a distaste for supermarkets, laden as they were with tins and boxes of food that were neither fresh nor healthy. I saw behind the stocked shelves a distinct lack of love for humanity’s health and well-being, and for that of nature, the earth. I experienced the exact opposite of that as I entered Conlemany.
It was simply beautiful and my heart sang. It was not mere eye candy either but beauty from the inside out – Conlemany has depth, inspiration, passion and a love of nature and the human being at its core. From the Italian phrase, ‘Con le many’ means ‘with your hands’. Everything in the store that could be considered ‘processed’ – the chocolate, the beautiful clothing, jewellery, syrups, jams–are all done so by human hands. Down further into a little cave of alchemy, you find the hair spa/salon. The walls are lined with organic powdered herbs, dried flowers and measuring and mixing tools.
The sound of running water tinkles through the air and mingles with the scent of potted plants. Here, bespoke, organic hair and scalp treatments and dyes are created. Each client is treated as the individual they are and mixtures are made – yes, you have it – by hand, on each occasion they are used. The choice to live an organic lifestyle, a handmade lifestyle is one that involves a lot of unlearning. Unlearning the expectations in relation to what things look like, or how long things will take. Our organic apples may not be as perfect as the chemical-laden ones. Our organic hair dye will not bleach like peroxide does…but the organic chocolate does taste a lot better!
Find out more at: organicitalianhair.bio