A gift certificate for a haircut with John Barrett at the John Barrett Salon at Bergdorf Goodman.

For more than a decade, John Barrett has been the mastermind behind some of the world's most fashionable women.

As noted for his dry wit and candor as he is for his sensitive handling of the diverse personalities — actresses, fashion editors, socialites, media figures — who comprise his clientele, Mr. Barrett has made a name paying superior attention to both the inside and outside of a woman's head. Hair, he believes, should be the glamorous extension of who you are inside.

Since opening the John Barrett Salon eleven years ago on the penthouse floor of Bergdorf Goodman, the Irish-born Mr. Barrett transformed the once-stuffy landscape of the hair salon into a vibrant, festive scene worthy of a chick-lit bestseller, a Broadway musical, or an over-the-top fashion shoot (all of which have been done).