Celebrated Wellington hairdresser dies
Award-winning Wellington hairdresser Derek Elvy has died after a long battle with spinal cancer.
‘‘In true Derek style, he fought until the end with grace, style, elegance and determination,’’ Buoy Salon & Spa said on its Facebook page.
Elvy founded Buoy Salon & Spa in the late 1980s, was named Hairdresser of the Year seven times and had a cabinet full of awards.
Clients came from around New Zealand to have their hair styled by him. Well-known clients included former Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast.
Six months spent styling elves’ hair on the Lord of the Rings trilogy was an experience he said he wouldn’t care to repeat. ‘‘There were 14 hour days in freezing, blizzard conditions, pouring water over elves’ heads.’’
Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, codirector of the World fashion brand, has worked with Elvy and Buoy for more than two decades.
‘‘To me Derek Elvy encapsulates everything that shouts individualism, and that is what makes him stand out and is why he has won more awards that any other hairdresser in New Zealand history.’’
Diagnosed with terminal spinal cancer in late 2016,
Elvy, who described himself as an ‘‘incredibly busy person’’, embarked on a final, ambitious creative project, relocating to Featherston.
There, he converted a dilapidated former chocolate factory into a dark and moody home filled with his collection of religious and Gothic treasures.
The process wasn’t an easy one, with Elvy supervising renovations from a hospice bed at one point. The finished home was featured in the last issue of NZ House & Garden ,a thrill for Elvy, who was by this stage very ill.
When the magazine was delivered, hot off the press, to Elvy, he told magazine staff it looked ‘‘stupendous’’.
‘‘This house is Derek’s final, big creative act,’’ said NZ House & Garden editor Sally Duggan. ‘‘And it is a triumph ... His house will be a legacy to his truly unique life.’’