Hair Traffic

Client: But Ivy, I only have $125 to spend on hair. Roberg: Then please order from Mr. Teitelbaum. He has an A product. Of course, we carry an A plus!

But it's the high-end client Great Lengths is after.

illustration: Jonathan Barkat

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More About

• Gary Teitelbaum
• Henan Rebecca
• Ivy Roberg
• Human Rights
• Hair Care and Styling

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They're all hype, she says, but ever since their marketing blitz took hold in the late '90s, people have been calling and asking for temple hair. "I want to say to them, 'You are not a connoisseur of hair! If you were, you wouldn't ask what I consider such a stupid question. We select the best hair from all over the world.' "

She spreads a selection of quarter-pound bundles to illustrate. Their bestseller, a frizzy yet velvety-soft black ponytail, retails for $166. Was it imported from China? Roberg hesitates. The best-quality hair often comes from cold climates, from Europe where people have rich diets. But did it come through China? Roberg looks frustrated.

"It comes from all over. The quality is in the processing. Where it comes from doesn't matter."