Leonardo Manetti co-founder

Born in 1970 and raised in Florence, Italy, Leonardo Manetti has been a hair stylist since 1987.

Leonardo began his career at a small salon in Florence, but a self-professed gypsy, he left for London less than a year later. There, he studied styling at Alan International. Three years later, Leonardo trained in advanced cutting under acclaimed stylist Luis Llongueras in Spain. A yearning to gain exposure to new cultures and fresh inspiration soon led him to the US. In 1994, Leonardo began as a salon stylist at famed Manhattan salon Bumble and bumble. Days were split styling clients and teaching cutting techniques at Bumble and bumble’s Bb.U design school. With what little free time was left, he ventured into editorial styling. Leonardo had intended to stay just long enough to improve his English, but his career quickly took off in America.

By 2000, Leonardo’s reputation as an editorial stylist was established. His work has been featured in Vogue Italia, Numero (France), Numero (Tokyo), Numero (Korea), Vogue (Russia), Vogue (Germany), i-D, Dazed and Confused, Flair and Muse. Leonardo styled the 2008 Diesel advertising campaign and Moschino’s print campaign in 2006. The same year, he worked with Kate Winslet for Trésor’s print and television advertisements. Joining forces with top designers, Leonardo lead such fashion shows as Paul & Joe at Paris Fashion Week; Miss Sixty, Rebecca Taylor and Yigal Azrouël at New York Fashion Week; and Gaetano Navarra at Milan Fashion Week.

In 2008, after nearly two decades in editorial and salon styling, Leonardo opened ION Studio in New York City with partners Marco Santini and Pasquale Ferrante. ION is Manhattan’s first green salon, built using recycled and eco-friendly materials and powered by wind. “At a certain point, we decided to have a positive impact on both our clients and the earth,” explains Leonardo of opening ION with Santini and Ferrante. “Our goal was two-fold: to give each client the individualized attention and comfortable atmosphere they may not get in a bigger salon, and to be conscious of our effect on the environment. Hopefully, we will make people look and feel their best while making a small contribution to the planet.”