Edmondo Blando’s Favorite Things
A peek into the life of the Rittenhouse salon owner.
Edmondo Blando. Photograph by Jauhien Sasnou
The fashionable, fast-talking owner of Salon Vanity in Rittenhouse tends to the tresses of many a Philly socialite and news anchor. Here, he dishes on his essential-oil obsession, the best Philly restaurant for a cheat day, and the only scissors worth cutting hair with.
Favorite Things
Left: Watches. Right: Hikari New Cosmos shears. Photography by Jauhien Sasnou
I collect: Watches. “My most recent splurge was my Panerai Luminor watch, but I love my Cartier Roadster watch, which was a 30th birthday gift from my wife, Chrysanthi. I wore it for 10 years straight.”
Dolce. Photograph by Jauhien Sasnou
My pet: A French bulldog named Dolce. “My wife and my daughter love Frenchies, and once my daughter asks for something, I fall to the knees. I used to think Dolce was ugly, but now I love that smooshed face.”
Cherished item: “My first pair of real shears: Hikari New Cosmos. I won’t let anyone else use that pair. They last seven years as long as you get them sharpened professionally. Back in Italy, my dad’s family were butchers and my mom’s were tailors. It was in my DNA to use scissors.”
Favorite musicians: Andrea Bocelli, Jay-Z, Frank Sinatra.
Saint Laurent Wyatt 30 Jodhpur boots. Photograph by Jauhien Sasnou
On my feet: Saint Laurent Wyatt 30 Jodhpur boots from the brand’s King of Prussia outpost.
At Home
Hair essentials: Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil shampoo and Shu Uemura Kengo Feather hair cream.
Fitness obsession: Boxing. “I take private lessons with my 10-year-old son at Body Arts Gym in Northern Liberties.”
Skin care: “I use mastic body oil I buy in Greece in my steam room, with other essential oils.”
On my desk: “My kids’ art, and shots of espresso.”
Out and About
Greece. Photograph courtesy of iStockphoto
Annual trip: The Greek Islands for three weeks. “My wife is from Chios. It’s a magical island because there aren’t that many tourists. There are small villages where you buy your food for the day and fishermen sell things fresh.”
Left: Boli Buns from Uncle Oogie’s. Right: Olbas essential oil. Photography by Jauhien Sasnou
Guilty pleasures: Nick’s roast beef sandwich, Boli Buns from Uncle Oogie’s, and Shank’s scrapple fries. “I go on secret food-binge missions to these spots, since normally we eat very healthily at home.”
Mode of transportation: A champagne-hued Porsche 911 S convertible. “That car was my childhood poster above my bed, except it was yellow.”
Favorite non-clothing shop: Penn Herb Company in NoLibs. “I buy Olbas essential oil with peppermint, eucalyptus and spearmint for when
I have a cough, and their fruit lozenges with black currant for when I talk all day.”
Published as “Connoisseur: Edmondo Blando” in the April 2018 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
