GLOBAL STANDARDS

Three expat hair gurus have opened new salons in Singapore. Karen Tee finds out how each of them are bringing their international A-game to our hair scene.

Meet the three expat hair gurus shaking up the local salon scene.

THE FRENCHMAN: YANN BEYRIE

Leave it to a French hairstylist who was trained in the home of haute couture to treat hair like a precious material, meant to be shaped and coloured to perfection. It is this devotion to enhancing each individual’s hair through “minimal precision cutting” that motivated Beyrie to launch his namesake salon in Wisma Atria (#03-01D) in April.

With 12 years of experience (former creative director at Toni & Guy Singapore, plus stints with Toni & Guy Paris, as well as Trevor Sorbie and Vidal Sassoon in London), his focus is on creating modern – bespoke, if you must – hairstyles to satisfy his client’s desires. “Small, big, classic, crazy, funky, sophisticated – whatever they want to see their hair in, we can do it,” he says.

The culmination of a long-time dream to have his own salon, the stylish, uberminimalist space features an industrial raw concrete floor and two neat rows of chairs lined up against the opposite wall. Free of clutter, this offers a visual “breathing space” for him and his customers, says Beyrie.

Unsurprisingly, he’s also chosen to use premium tools such as Dyson Supersonic hairdryers (proven to dry hair faster and with less frizz) and GHD hair straighteners, as well as organic haircare products from Italian brand Davines (his personal favourite) that are free of sulphates and parabens.

Aside from his deft cuts, one of Beyrie’s specialities is balayage, the hair colouring technique that originated from France, where dye is painted on with a brush for a natural sun-kissed effect. He says: “Hair is art and should be respected.” Spoken like a true artist.