Iron + Ivy was never created to be just another salon. It was built from the beginning to bring something modern, elevated and creatively ambitious to Queenstown — a salon where hair, fashion, art, education and experience could come together under one name.
Lauren McMurray-Sherwin wanted to create a hair brand that reflected the evolution of Queenstown itself — modern, creative, stylish, international, and ready for something more elevated. The name Iron + Ivy captured the balance she wanted the brand to represent.
Iron symbolised strength, precision, structure and discipline. Ivy symbolised growth, beauty, elegance and connection. Together, the name became more than a title — it became the foundation of a brand built on artistry, resilience and continual evolution.
After extensive research, name checks and trademark searches, Lauren secured the Iron + Ivy name, establishing herself as the original creator of the brand and protecting an identity that would later become one of the most recognised salon names in Queenstown.
Lauren opened Iron + Ivy Hair + Beauty in Queenstown Central. What started as an eight-station salon quickly became known for something different: a modern salon experience that combined beautiful hairdressing, bespoke colour work, luxury haircare, strong design and genuine client care.
Iron + Ivy was created for clients who wanted more than an appointment — they wanted expertise, creativity, trust and a feeling that they were somewhere special.
From the beginning, the salon attracted attention for its standard of work, its atmosphere and its commitment to delivering hair that looked beautiful, felt healthy and was tailored to the individual. It fast became one of Queenstown's most talked-about salons and a destination for blondes, balayage, transformations, precision cutting and luxury hair services.
Later that same year, Iron + Ivy was recognised nationally, winning Best Salon Design at the 2019 Industry Awards. For a salon still in its first year, the award was a defining moment.
It proved that Iron + Ivy was not only creating beautiful hair — it was creating a complete experience. The space, the atmosphere, the branding and the attention to detail all worked together to set a new standard for what a Queenstown salon could feel like. Beautiful, bold, refined and memorable.
Not bad for chapter one.
Iron + Ivy Hair + Beauty became Iron + Ivy Studio — a sharper, more focused identity that reflected the salon's growth from a beautiful hair and beauty space into a serious creative studio. The salon expanded to ten stations and launched Iron + Ivy Academy, formalising one of the brand's core beliefs: that great salons are built through great education.
The Academy created a pathway for training, development and growth, helping the team refine their craft and continue raising the standard from within.
Around this time, Lauren also discovered that other hair operators overseas had begun using similar names and branding. While frustrating, it confirmed something important: Iron + Ivy had created something distinctive, desirable and recognisable.
Copied? Perhaps. Original? Absolutely.
Iron + Ivy continued to expand, growing into a fourteen-station salon and strengthening its reputation as one of Queenstown's leading hair destinations. This was the chapter where the brand moved from being successful to being seriously established.
The team grew. The systems grew. The education grew. The reputation grew. Iron + Ivy became known not only for beautiful results, but for its ability to deliver consistency at scale — a rare thing in the salon world, where standards can easily slip when demand increases.
This period also marked a deeper relationship with luxury haircare brands, including Moroccanoil and Moroccanoil Professional, reinforcing Iron + Ivy's position as a salon trusted by globally recognised leaders in haircare.
The move marked an exciting new chapter: the beginning of a two-salon group with two distinct identities. This was not about duplicating Iron + Ivy — it was about expanding the standard.
Arrowtown offered the perfect setting for a more intimate, boutique, luxury salon experience — something calmer, moodier and more refined, while still carrying the same commitment to exceptional hairdressing.
The foundations were laid for a new brand with its own personality, its own energy and its own place in the market.
Arrowtown Hair was reborn as Revolver Hair Studio — polished, intimate, stylish and quietly powerful. Where Iron + Ivy is high-energy, vibrant and bold, Revolver was designed to feel calmer, more refined and more exclusive. A boutique salon with an edge. Luxury, but never cold. Beautiful, but never boring.
The launch of Revolver gave the group a second brand with its own identity while sharing the same philosophy that made Iron + Ivy successful: exceptional hair, beautiful spaces, strong education and an uncompromising client experience.
Also in 2025, Iron + Ivy reached another major milestone by becoming New Zealand's first official Moroccanoil Flagship Salon, further cementing its place as one of the country's leading luxury hair destinations.
Today, Iron + Ivy Hair Studio and Revolver Hair Studio stand as two of the South Island's leading salon experiences.
Iron + Ivy remains Queenstown's award-winning, high-energy destination for blondes, balayage, hair extensions, precision cutting, luxury colour and modern haircare. Revolver brings boutique luxury to Arrowtown, offering a calmer, more intimate salon experience with the same dedication to detail, artistry and excellence.
Together, the two salons represent the next chapter of the brand: two locations, two distinct identities, and one clear mission.
To inspire. To empower. And to deliver excellence.
Iron + Ivy has grown through creativity, courage, education and an unwavering belief that great hair is never just about hair. It is about confidence. It is about experience. It is about setting a standard — then raising it again.