It took escaping from an abusive marriage in the Bronx to landing at a shelter for battered women in Miami to getting a gig at Supercuts to owning 12 Supercuts to opening her own barbershop to expanding that to a chain before Elena Linares could finally land here, in the city where she started.

Razzledazzle Barbershop – which has won Linares dozens of awards and gobs of press coverage in Florida – opened its fifth shop (three in Miami, one in Tampa) here in January with its signature burlesque-themed style: red walls, roses, twinkle lights, photos of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. (It’s amazing. You have to pop in, even if you don’t need a trim. It’s so refreshing. There’s not a piece of stone, steel or drop of white paint anywhere.) The idea, says Linares, is simple: everyone likes to be pampered. Men too. And why not add in a little eye candy? (That’s manager Nelly Rea with Alan Filauro, a personal trainer and coach at Exceed on Reade, in the photo above.)

“I wanted a more extravagant experience for the customer,” said Linares (that’s her on the business cards and below with a customer in Miami). “I knew I could bring a touch of sexiness to the men’s industry.” The haircutters are only women…in corsets. “Who better to tell men what looks good than a woman?”

She’s onto something. This is her fifth store, and her 11th year in business. And while she set it up as a franchise, she has yet to sell one. She’s not ready yet to give up the control.

Linares originally had an arrangement for a space at 67 Wall, but when that fell through, she spent some time last summer hotel surfing in the neighborhood till she spotted this corner. The last business here closed when the owner of Gold N Diamond was found murdered in February 2017 in the bathroom. So Linares had a priest from St. Peter’s come in and bless the space before she gutted it. Three months later she had it the way she wanted. “I’m so proud of myself,” she said of finally being back in New York. “This is my dream.”

Haircuts are $35 for men, $20 for kids, with a full menu beyond that. Linares will host a grand opening on May 30. “We’ll bring some sassiness to the event,” she promised. She also sells her own branded hair products for men here and online.

Razzledazzle Barbershop
193 Church Street at Duane
(646) 370-4024