Nina's Hair Parlour

Nina's Hair Parlour was a vintage-focused hair and makeup salon established in 2005 by Nina Butkovich-Budden. The business was based in Marylebone, London, and developed from Butkovich-Budden's earlier work specialising in vintage hairstyling at the Cut and Clipper, a small salon on The Cut in Waterloo. Media attention around her work helped bring in customers, eventually creating demand for premises larger than the original salon could accommodate. In June 2008, Butkovich-Budden joined forces with makeup artist Issidora and opened a larger location in Alfie's Antique Market in Marylebone. The new salon was designed to evoke the atmosphere of a 1950s beauty parlour. Its features included pistachio-coloured walls, original chair-mounted hairdryers, and a small museum of hair and makeup-related objects. The setting made the venue more than a conventional salon: it also functioned as a distinctive location for filming, fashion photography, and other media work. The salon's offering centred on vintage hair styling and makeup, with expertise suited to period looks, editorial shoots, performances, and television production. Butkovich-Budden and Issidora also worked closely with the professional beauty brands Oribe and Cosmetics à La Carte. Their public profile included an appearance by Butkovich-Budden on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour alongside Nicky Clarke, as well as participation by the full team in the BBC's Children in Need programme Celebrity Scissorhands, where they appeared as vintage hair and makeup specialists alongside Lee Stafford and Steve Strange. Beyond salon services, the founders were involved in professional advocacy for freelance hair and makeup artists working in the fashion and media industries. They helped bring freelance fashion-industry makeup artists and hairstylists into the BECTU union. Following a two-year campaign supported by freelancers across the United Kingdom, a rate card was published on BECTU's website in November 2015. This activity gave the business and its founders a role in the wider organisation of freelance work, including discussions about standard rates and working conditions. The salon also continued to contribute hair and makeup work to BBC documentary programmes. Available reference material documents its establishment, Marylebone location, vintage specialism, media appearances, professional collaborations, and industry advocacy, but does not establish a current operating status, ownership structure, financial performance, or later corporate history.

Nina's Hair Parlour was established in 2005 by Nina Butkovich-Budden, a Croatian national who had developed a specialism in vintage hairstyling while working at the Cut and Clipper on The Cut in Waterloo. Her work attracted media attention and, with it, a growing customer base. The original small premises eventually became unable to handle demand, creating the need for a larger location. In June 2008, Butkovich-Budden partnered with makeup artist Issidora to open a larger salon at Alfie's Antique Market in Marylebone. The interior was deliberately styled to resemble a 1950s salon, using pistachio-coloured walls and original chair-mounted hairdryers. The location also contained a small hair and makeup museum. Its distinctive appearance and specialist capabilities made it suitable for filming and fashion photography, in addition to ordinary client services. The salon focused on vintage hair and makeup, while also undertaking production work for television and other media. Butkovich-Budden and Issidora maintained professional relationships with Oribe and Cosmetics à La Carte. The founders' media appearances included Butkovich-Budden's interview on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour with Nicky Clarke. The wider team appeared on the BBC's Children in Need programme Celebrity Scissorhands with Lee Stafford and Steve Strange, presenting themselves as experts in vintage hair and makeup. The founders also participated in a broader labour and professional-standards initiative. They were instrumental in helping freelance fashion-industry hair and makeup artists integrate into BECTU. The effort lasted two years and involved freelance workers from across the United Kingdom. In November 2015, BECTU published a rate card, marking a documented outcome of the campaign. The business continued to work on BBC documentary programmes, providing hair and makeup creation and styling. The available historical record does not provide a confirmed closure date, current owner, financial information, or a later corporate structure, so the present status of the salon remains unverified.

• 2015

  BECTU rate card published

  [1]Nina's Hair Parlouren.wikipedia.org

  Following a two-year campaign involving freelance hair and makeup workers, BECTU published a rate card in November.

• 2008

  Larger Marylebone salon opened

  [1]Nina's Hair Parlouren.wikipedia.org

  In June, Nina Butkovich-Budden and makeup artist Issidora opened a larger salon in Alfie's Antique Market in Marylebone.

• 2005

  Salon established

  [1]Nina's Hair Parlouren.wikipedia.org

  Nina Butkovich-Budden established Nina's Hair Parlour as a vintage hair and makeup business.

A specialist vintage hair and makeup salon combining period-inspired beauty services with media, fashion, and production expertise.

• Hair salon service · 2005

  Vintage hairstyling

  The salon's core specialism was vintage hairstyling, developed from Nina Butkovich-Budden's work before the parlour was established. Services were oriented toward period-inspired looks and were also applicable to fashion, television, photography, and filming.

• Makeup service · 2008

  Vintage makeup

  Makeup formed a central part of the parlour's offer, particularly after the partnership with makeup artist Issidora. The service was associated with vintage and period styling and supported both salon clients and professional media productions.

• Media and fashion service · 2008

  Production hair and makeup

  The team provided hair and makeup expertise for filming, fashion photography, and BBC documentary programmes. The Marylebone premises were also hired as a visually distinctive location for filming and fashion photo shoots.

• 2013Freelance fashion hair and makeup rate-card campaign

  United Kingdom

  Nina Butkovich-Budden and Issidora supported the integration of freelance fashion-industry hairstylists and makeup artists into BECTU. The campaign lasted two years and involved freelancers from across the United Kingdom.

  Outcome. BECTU published a rate card on its website in November 2015.

  Source

• 2008

  Move to a larger, experience-led salonStrategy

  Background

  Growing customer demand meant the original small premises could no longer accommodate the business. A larger location was pursued in partnership with makeup artist Issidora.

  Action taken

  The partners opened a Marylebone salon in Alfie's Antique Market and designed it around a 1950s beauty-parlour aesthetic, including vintage equipment and a small museum.

  Aftermath

  The new setting supported salon services as well as filming, fashion photography, and other media work.

  Source

• 2015

  BECTU published a rate card following freelance hair and makeup campaign[1]Nina's Hair Parlouren.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Regulation

  After a two-year campaign involving freelance fashion-industry hair and makeup professionals across the United Kingdom, a rate card was published on the BECTU website in November 2015.

• Nina Butkovich-Budden appeared on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour[1]Nina's Hair Parlouren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The salon's founder was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour alongside hairstylist Nicky Clarke, contributing to the salon's public profile as a vintage hair specialist.

• Nina's Hair Parlour team appeared on Celebrity Scissorhands[1]Nina's Hair Parlouren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The complete salon team appeared on the BBC's Children in Need programme Celebrity Scissorhands as vintage hair and makeup experts, alongside Lee Stafford and Steve Strange.

1. 1Nina's Hair Parlouren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Nina's Hair Parlour official websiteninashairparlour.com