Downtown Jewels | Isabelle Benito

Rua Santa Luzia number 797, in the block between Super Rádio Tupi and the American Consulate. There are several identical shops from the 1950s. There’s a rush of comings and goings, you have to look carefully. And that’s what I did. I discovered one of the “pearls” of this beautiful and little talked about Center.

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So, I decided that every Friday this column, which covers Rio, will also show that it is beautiful from the North Zone to the South Zone and especially in the Center.

Here everyone says: “I’m going to the city” when they go to the Center. And that never made sense to me until I started going to the neighborhood after the radio stations and SBT moved.

Well, the address I gave is charming.

A beauty salon, institute, coiffeur… It doesn’t matter, ‘O Vogue’ is a rarity and I’ll explain.

In my rush, I needed to wash my hair, I went in and it seemed like a very tasteful place.

It’s impressive! Everything preserved as when it was built in 1956.

Darlene attended to me, beautiful, brushed and elegant.

The first thing that caught my attention were the washbasins: they are on each hairdresser’s counter. It took me a while to understand the dynamics.

Seu Fernando Rodrigues, friendly Portuguese and owner of the place, is loved by the staff. He said he makes a point of not changing anything just to preserve it. “The first owner, also Portuguese, went to France and brought from there everything that still exists today”.

The tiles on the mezzanine are incredible.

You pay in pix, by approach, but the first cash register is still there.

And another employee is also continuing, who has been there since the beginning. Seu Eleonildes, 84 years old, started as a boy and has a steady clientele. Through his hands, famous businessmen, politicians and even controversial figures like Eurico Miranda.

In addition to being a meeting point for authorities, it was also the setting for films and soap operas. Imagine what these walls haven’t heard? Mr. Eleonildes says so, I mean, he doesn’t say it.

Comb your impeccable white hair every five minutes and forever retain the credibility of knowing how to keep secrets. When asked, smile on the corner of the lips. The kind that the curious journalist here knows she will never make a “peep” out of!

Oh and remember Darlene? She has been there for 24 years.. She has already gone to Paris for work. “I have very old clients, women who have already retired come back to the “city” just to get a haircut with me”.

It’s great that she accepts new clients. I don’t make an appointment and every week I’m still amazed at how she washes and dries my hair in the same place…

The Center is a jewel box!