What ever happened to the hair heroes?
Big names and big salons are disappearing from the industry
AS a young stylist starting out in the early 1980s, aside from the cultural icons of the day, hairdressers were real stars, almost on a par with the rock stars, photographers and actors they were often spotted socialising with.
Obviously Vidal Sassoon instantly springs to mind, the London boy-abouttown with supermodels Peggy Moffat and Jean Shrimpton in tow, Bailey and Quant not far behind, dynamic teams of creative people pulled together by a desire to change the world, or at least restyle it.
Celebrity hairdressers are littered all over modern culture, from Suzy Ronson creating David Bowie’s iconic Ziggy haircut to Vidal being flown to New York to cut Mia Farrow’s hair famously short for her role in Rosemary’s Baby , Trevor Sorbie inadvertently inventing ‘The Wedge’ , a haircut that defined a generation.
But the connection and intimacy of hair stylists and their famous clients often goes behind the simple act of doing their hair. Elvis Presley’s stylist, Larry Geller, was not only instrumental in styling the King’s equally famous barnet but was a spiritual adviser, close friend and probably the last person to ever see Elvis before the casket he was buried in was closed.
These stories and many others were passed down through generations to young stylists by their bosses or fellow stylists as an indication of the value,prestige and influence hairdressers had on fashion art and modern culture.
I was told that I simply must watch Shampoo starring Warren Beatty as it was based on a true story which was typical of how hairdressers in the US were treated and lived.
I watched it many times, loved it and by the early 90s had got to know many hairdressers who actually did indeed live similar lives, including my old friend Keith Harris , a true hair legend and genius whose career literally could have been the basis of the Shampoo storyline had he not been a decade too young.
The 80s and 90s were potentially the absolute pinnacle of the celebrity hairstylist, with media clamouring for access to the stars, television looking for magical makeovers and a fascination with celebrity hair , hairdressers became household names.
Nicky Clarke, John Frieda and Andrew Collinge appearing on daytime TV chat shows, product lines and exclusive salons with clientele that were glamorous, famous and immaculately groomed.
In the US Oribe, John Sahag and Frederic Fekkai trailblazers all, and of course the supermodels favourite stylists Garren and in the UK, Sam McKnight.
Thes people were highly sought after for editorial work – Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire regularly featured their work and often the stylists themselves.
In reality the hairdresser was as interesting as their famous muse – it seemed that there was no limitations to levels of success that these superstar stylist could achieve, Freida and Charles Worthington like Sassoon before them would set up salons on both sides of the pond, their fame and charisma ensured mammoth waiting lists and celebrity product lines started to take over huge retail spaces in chemists and department stores. Alongside Scottish hairdresser John Gillespie I had a unique range for a period in the 90s guaranteeing us TV exposure, regular public appearances at industry and beauty events as well as lucrative spin off contracts and deals – they were fun times and though we knew it would never last, we enjoyed the ride!
Ireland, both north and south, was also enjoying a change of fortune. In the north, as the 1990s moved on, peace and prosperity was a real belief and with that brought confidence and optimism.
Salons became professional, services were established and improved and hairdressers built brands. David and Lawrain Aumonier, a true power couple with wit, style and a nice line in eyewear, represented a change in how the local hair industry was perceived. Alan Boyce, a true visionary brought the internationally recognised Toni and Guy to Ireland, combining commercial savvy with street smart hairdressing. There was almost a glut of talent, from the giants David Marshall, Alan Bruton, Aidan Fitzgerald and the late Frank Hession to the new kids on the block Shay Dempsey and Dylan Bradshaw riding the Celtic Tiger, taking their places as incredible artists and great ambassadors for the craft.
Times change, the television companies changed their focus to cookery, chefs replaced hairdressers, home makeovers replaced hair makeovers and product companies muscled in on the celebrity stylist lines and either out-priced them or outgunned them on the shelves.
And of course, social media, that instant star-making machine has diluted the whole idea of true celebrity. There is a saying that being famous on Instagram is like being a millionaire at Monopoly. I disagree — be under no illusion those hairdressers with millions of followers are bona fide famous. Whether it’s Guy Tang or Sophia Hilton, they work hard for their fame and it’s deserved… mostly.
Whether it’s a new technique or quick fix, a quick log into a search engine will throw up a million different options and trick. Sadly most people will hardly register the name of the artist who provided the content. Maybe the days of a recognised expert or someone who we regard as a leader in their field is as transient as the time it takes to scroll through Facebook.
I recently gave a seminar to a group of 100 young hairdressers, the first noticeable thing was that almost all of them had long hair, literally no difference in style.
The second thing was when I asked them to name three of the most influential hairdressers of all time, not one person could come up with a name. The average age of the class was around 22, that means at least two generations of hairdressers do not know who our forefathers are.
The sad thing for me is that those great pathfinders and innovators whose hard work and vision in craft, business and ingenuity will not be passed on either by the new generation or their mentors or educators.
Imagine if every young musician didn’t want to emulate Elvis or the Beatles, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé or Taylor Swift? No heroes or role models means, in my opinion, no direction.
Many years ago, a very good client of mine came to see me one day. She had a confession to make: ‘I’ve been to London and had Nicky Clarke cut my hair.’ She was embarrassed but also excited, it looked great. She told me all about the experience, she’d had a lovely glass of champagne, and lunch. Whilst Nicky was blow drying her hair, the assistant held the dryer, she said he wasn’t distracted or interrupted by anyone the entire time, his focus was purely on her and her hair.
She left walking on air, a lady in the reception noticed how happy she was and remarked “he’s really quite wonderful, isn’t he?” My client agreed, and she told me as she looked around the salon with its framed front covers and Mayfair charm she realised that salons ‘really are the workshops of heroes’.
Today the heroes are not nearly as famous as they used to be, but look very carefully beyond the internet, Instagram and TikTok there will be one close to wherever you are now weaving magic and dealing in hair dreams, bricks and mortar buildings they still call salons — catch one while you still can!
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