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“I Truly Believe That The Trevor Sorbie Brand Is In The Best Hands” – Trevor Sorbie Talks Lasting Legacies And Stand-out Looks With Giuseppe Stelitano

“I Truly Believe That The Trevor Sorbie Brand Is In The Best Hands” – Trevor Sorbie Talks Lasting Legacies And Stand-out Looks With Giuseppe Stelitano

“I Truly Believe That The Trevor Sorbie Brand Is In The Best Hands” – Trevor Sorbie Talks Lasting Legacies And Stand-out Looks With Giuseppe Stelitano

Industry tastemakers Trevor Sorbie and Giuseppe Stelitano reflect on each other’s greatest work as they celebrate 45 years of the Covent Garden location.

Laura Chadwick
Trevor with Giuseppe at the LCT Grand Final

An industry icon and a visionary rising through the ranks – together Trevor Sorbie and Giuseppe Stelitano make quite the powerhouse pairing, sending the success of the Trevor Sorbie brand stratospheric in recent years. Most recently, Giuseppe was the creative genius behind one of the epic hair shows at the L’Oréal Colour Trophy UK Grand Final, and as the brand celebrates its 45th anniversary, it’s never been more apparent that the future is very bright.  

Talking exclusively to Creative HEAD, Trevor and Giuseppe discuss what keeps their creative fires alight…

What is your favourite image that each other has created and why?

work from the Trevor Sorbie archive
Giuseppe’s favourite look created by Trevor. The image has never been published!
Giuseppe: There are countless looks that Trevor has created that are amazing but if I had to choose, I’d say that my favourite look is the one from back in the ’80s. It’s a striking black-and-white image that combines intricate curls with electronic elements, creating a contrast between organic and mechanical. It’s futuristic yet timeless, and it perfectly showcases Trevor’s genius, forward-thinking vision. This look continues to inspire me and reminds me why Trevor is such an icon in our industry.  
work by Giuseppe
Trevor’s favourite look created by Giuseppe.
Trevor: I think this look from Giuseppe is brilliant. It’s a unique way of photographing hair. It’s mystique, it’s got drama, and the angle of the photograph is unlike any photo I’ve seen. Of course, I’m also very proud of Giuseppe’s latest campaign, 1979. 

Trevor: I think this look from Giuseppe is brilliant. It’s a unique way of photographing hair. It’s mystique, it’s got drama, and the angle of the photograph is unlike any photo I’ve seen. Of course, I’m also very proud of Giuseppe’s latest campaign, 1979.

What do you believe makes a great image? 

G: To me, a great image tells a story and evokes an emotional response. It’s not just about the technical perfection but about capturing a moment. Lighting, set, make-up, styling and the subject all play crucial roles, but the magic happens when these elements come together to create something that feels truly authentic and fresh. 

T: I think the same as Giuseppe, it’s a combination of all elements, as well including the model, hair, photography and make-up also coming together in perfect harmony, which is very rare to get all those elements exactly right. When a picture comes together like that, that’s when you can say you’ve got the wow factor. 

Images from the 1979 collection

When selecting the shots from your collection or creative work, what extra ‘wow factor’ helps you decide what makes the cut?

G: For me it is when I see a shot that makes me stop in my tracks. It’s that instant connection, where everything comes together perfectly…the hair, the model’s expression, the lighting. I look for an image that not only showcases technical skills but is also unique and offers something interesting. It’s that one shot that you know will leave a lasting impression 

T: Like the last answer really. You know it when you see it. It must give you an emotion that triggers something in your head. I think to create a good collection, the photographer (and especially the photographer!) must be on the same page as you. It’s got to excite them. When you get that from the photographer, that’s when you know they’ll give it 100 per cent because they are excited.

What are your hopes for the Trevor Sorbie brand in the next 25 years?

G: Looking ahead, I hope to see the Trevor Sorbie brand continue to lead the industry. I picture us expanding our global presence, pioneering trends, and setting new standards in hairstyling. My dream is for us to keep inspiring both our guests and the next generation of hairdressers. I want us to continue breaking boundaries and thinking outside the box, but always keeping in mind our core brand values. 

T:  The team I’ve grown are the best placed to take the brand forward, continue the legacy that I built, and I truly believe that the Trevor Sorbie brand is in the best hands.  I know we will see the brand continue to thrive and grow. I’ve set up my team to carry forward our vision and values, ensuring the brand remains at the forefront of the industry. I am confident that the Trevor Sorbie name will endure and inspire future generations. 

The making of the 1979 campaign

What is your favourite aspect of working together, and what makes your working dynamic so special?

G: My favourite aspect of working together is the combination of trust and respect that we have for each other. Although I might have Trevor’s blessing to lead the brand creatively, I’m always asking him for his advice or opinion.  

T: As Giuseppe said, it’s the connection we have. When you get the right connection, you can bounce ideas back and forth – one person can excite the other and vice versa. When I chose Giuseppe as our creative director, I saw a lot of myself in him. At first, I had to hold his hand to show him the ropes but within a few months, I let him fly. He had it perfectly in line with my mind. It’s that old fashion saying that ‘great minds think alike’, and that’s me and Giuseppe.

45 years is a fantastic anniversary for the Covent Garden salon! What do you consider to be the secret to your long-term success? 

T: I can sum up the answer in two words: discipline and consistency. Anyone who has worked for me will know that when people come to work for me, it’s like joining the army. I break down the way they think and build them back up, and they become one of us. They love my philosophy because it is very simple: I truly care about my staff. I believe our product is our staff.

How has the Trevor Sorbie brand evolved during your time with the company, and what excites you most about working for Trevor Sorbie right now? 

G: During my time at Trevor Sorbie, I’ve seen the brand grow in ways that I couldn’t have imagined. We’ve embraced change and adapted ourselves to a much more current world while staying true to the quality and creativity that Trevor Sorbie is known for. What excites me most about working for Trevor Sorbie right now is our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence. This dedication to staying ahead of the game and constantly evolving makes every day engaging and keeps my enthusiasm for the work alive. 


Creative Direction: Giuseppe Stelitano @giuseppebstelitano
Photography and lighting: Barney Arthur @barneyarthurphoto
Videographer: Giovanni Musumeci @giovannimusumecixx
Styling: Douglas Miller @douglaswamiller
Make-up: Lauren Webster @laurenwebstr
Photography assistant: Alex Wilson @alexwilsonstudio
Styling assistant: Ella McKiernan @ellamckiernan
Videographer BTS: Luke Erwood @luke_erwood
Hair team: Tiziana Di Marcelli, Ryan Forsythe, Nathan Walker, Bree Davie, Ben Bradley, Esti Carton, Giuseppe Di Rosa, Edoardo Colasanti, Ila Capi 
1979 track: ‘Tubedigga’ @tubedigga
Location: Wayne McGregor @studiowaynemcgregor

What You Need to Know on… Branding

What You Need to Know on… Branding

What You Need to Know on… Branding

Maintaining a good brand takes thought and work, as does repairing a damaged one

by Amanda |  BUSINESS, FREELANCE

Unsplash/Austin Chan

What’s in a brand? Your business story as well as your reputation, for starters. Digital expert Harvey Morton offers some pearls of wisdom for getting going. “Conduct thorough market research to gain insights into your potential customers’ demographics, preferences, and behaviour patterns. Identify their pain points, needs, and aspirations.” Just don’t forget your competitors, he warns. “Explore their services, marketing techniques, pricing strategies and customer feedback,” he continues. “By understanding your target audience and competitors, you can position your brand effectively and create unique value.”

The early stages of brand building clearly require lots of research, but what about the more creative part? According to Hellen Ward, co-founder of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, the narrative matters. “When creating a new brand, you need to think about the story, the provenance. People need to quickly and easily identify what the brand values are, and what it stands for.” For growing an existing brand, Hellen advises to “identify the strengths, the core USP and go sniper with marketing, not scattergun.” Communicate what makes you stand out. “Market to your target customers and scream your points of difference, whether it’s the team, length of service, expertise, or luxury environment,” she adds.

Unsplash/ Vitaly Gariev

“Focus on building strong relationships with your customers through personalised experiences,” adds financial expert Garry Hemming. “Implement data-driven marketing strategies to better understand them and tailor the messaging and offerings to their needs. Leverage social media and content marketing to engage with your audience and showcase your brand’s personality and expertise.”

Partnerships and collaborations are another route as they “can help expand your brand’s reach”. This includes “complementary brands or influencers who align with your values and target audience”. This, he concludes, can help you “tap into new markets and build credibility for your brand”.

While it’s motivating to brainstorm and think about your goals, including the reasons for doing what you do, part of the brand journey is also about knowing how to respond when your brand is damaged. For Tom Skinner, managing director of digital marketing agency, Go Up, it’s important to apologise with sincerity, he advises. “Cut the business speak and imagine you’re talking to your own grandmother. So rather than ‘we’re sorry if some people misunderstood our Instagram post and were offended’, it should be ‘we’re sorry about our Instagram post’. Customers need to know you’re real. You’ll be surprised what can be rescued.”

Unsplash/Syahrir Maulana

However, simply saying sorry isn’t enough. “Prove you’ve changed,” Tom adds. “Demonstrate tangible improvement and a willingness to move past previous mistakes. Don’t just tell me you’ve fixed the car — take me for a drive.”

Sometimes, the extent of brand damage can mean that a rebrand is needed. Here, Garry has some pointers. “A fresh look and feel can symbolise a new beginning and signal a commitment to positive change. Be sure to involve your target audience in this process to gather their input and feedback.” However, a makeover on its own won’t guarantee customer support. “Consistency is key to regain trust,” he explains. “Ensure that all marketing materials and customer touchpoints are aligned with the renewed brand identity and messaging. Consider ongoing reputation management efforts to monitor and address negative sentiment and maintain a positive online presence.”

Is “Not Accepting New Clients” A Badge Of Honour Or A Death Sentence?

Is “Not Accepting New Clients” A Badge Of Honour Or A Death Sentence?

Is “Not Accepting New Clients” A Badge Of Honour Or A Death Sentence?

Seen the immortal statement featured in stylists’ social media bios? It List 2024 finalist, Frazer Wallace, questions whether closing yourself off to new clients is the right way to approach business

Look on a busy independent stylist’s social media bio, and you might spot the words ‘not accepting new clients’. I’d first noticed this statement being a ‘thing’ in the US, especially for those with 10,000+ followers. As a UK-based stylist, I’m now seeing this crop up more here, with so many stylists producing beautiful work but not letting anyone new book in.

If you’re booked out six months in advance then I understand that having lots of people message or call to get you might be annoying. But why close yourself off to meeting new people and being inspired by new ideas? I think this is new badge of honour, similar to a ‘blue tick’. Yet I feel it’s becoming more negative than positive.

I had this ‘not accepting new clients’ statement in my Instagram bio for a time. I was travelling a lot, and I’d cut down my days in the salon so I couldn’t fit any more guests in. Five months of incredible business then… quiet. Ooh, scary, right? Yes, it was! I couldn’t understand why I had one or two weeks of maybe a single client a day, then after that they’d be back-to-back. Well, it’s because I had ‘not accepting new clients’ in my bio. I had also told my clients that I wasn’t accepting new guests either, so guess what? They stopped recommending me to their friends.

This badge of honour, which was just an ego boost in all honesty, became a real problem. When I wanted to meet new clients, I couldn’t. Instead, I welcome new clients now but with an explanation that there will be a wait time until their first appointment. This way I’m not closing off any potential new clientele, and when I post some unexpected availability (everyone gets it now and again) there are people waiting to fill the spaces… and possibly become lifelong customers.

My point is: don’t fall for it. It’s not inviting to have a big fat ‘no’ on your page. Your social media gathers income. Keep your books open to ensure you stay inspired and to welcome anyone who could replace the person who may just replace you when someone new and cool comes along. There is business around for everyone, but don’t close yourself off to it just to feel important. It’s not worth it. And as a business owner, if I was interviewing someone who had this in their own bio, I wouldn’t take them on. It gives off Big Ego Energy.

We all know that social media brings in the money. Don’t let this stop you from making good money behind the chair that you’ve worked so hard to get busy in.

Related

“I can’t help but break the thing” – Rudi Lewis on his career in session

“I can’t help but break the thing” – Rudi Lewis on his career in session

“I can’t help but break the thing” – Rudi Lewis on his career in session

Even after 30 years in the business, the iconic session stylist has the playful mind of the rebellious teenager he once was

by CATHERINE | EXPLORE > PORTFOLIOS

Rudi Lewis @ LGA Management

On certain jobs session stylist Rudi Lewis finds himself people-pleasing – a habit formed during his years working on clients in salons, and one he can’t quite shake off. But put him in a room with people he clicks with and off he goes – liberated, empowered and excited to create looks that pulsate with the raw energy and rebellion of the music and subculture worlds where his heart and soul have always belonged. That’s when you’ll see Rudi at his scintillating, sensational, zeitgeist-defining best – and see why brands such as Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton want him on their teams. Creative HEAD meets a risk-taker par extraordinaire…

Damp, squalid, overcrowded – the Glasgow tenements of the ’70s had some of the worst conditions in Britain. Not the obvious background for a career in high fashion, but for young Rudi Lewis, growing up on one of the roughest estates was also where he discovered music, style, and the codes of punk that later took him to some of the most glamorous places in the world. “Where I lived, you could get beaten up for having the wrong pair of trainers, it was pretty homogeneous,” he says, “so I can still remember the first time I saw David Bowie or Adam Ant and thinking, ‘Oh, it’s okay to be yourself, I don’t have to live this life, I can be someone with my own style somewhere else.’”

Rudi Lewis @ LGA Management

On certain jobs session stylist Rudi Lewis finds himself people-pleasing – a habit formed during his years working on clients in salons, and one he can’t quite shake off. But put him in a room with people he clicks with and off he goes – liberated, empowered and excited to create looks that pulsate with the raw energy and rebellion of the music and subculture worlds where his heart and soul have always belonged. That’s when you’ll see Rudi at his scintillating, sensational, zeitgeist-defining best – and see why brands such as Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton want him on their teams. Creative HEAD meets a risk-taker par extraordinaire…

Damp, squalid, overcrowded – the Glasgow tenements of the ’70s had some of the worst conditions in Britain. Not the obvious background for a career in high fashion, but for young Rudi Lewis, growing up on one of the roughest estates was also where he discovered music, style, and the codes of punk that later took him to some of the most glamorous places in the world. “Where I lived, you could get beaten up for having the wrong pair of trainers, it was pretty homogeneous,” he says, “so I can still remember the first time I saw David Bowie or Adam Ant and thinking, ‘Oh, it’s okay to be yourself, I don’t have to live this life, I can be someone with my own style somewhere else.’”

His escape route came in the form of hair. Inspired by Irvine and Rita Rusk, the super-stylish Glaswegian hairdressing duo who had won countless national and international awards and who went around the city in matching leather overcoats and oversized sunglasses, salons were springing up all around Glasgow and 16-year-old Rudi – who had always known how he wanted to look and how he wanted hair to look – found himself training at local salon Billy Smith’s in Clydebank, before qualifying at James Margey in Glasgow’s West End. “It was an oasis of cool people like I’d never seen before,” he recalls. “I loved it.” When a hairdresser neighbour left to go and work at Trevor Sorbie in London, a 17-year-old Rudi followed – and never looked back.

He chose to work at Eclipse in north London because they shot photo-collections and took part in the Alternative Hair Show. Rudi had already developed a love of image-making, thanks to a friend of his mother’s, Nick Peacock, who back home had taught him how to use a camera and develop his own photos in a dark room. Rudi is grateful for his time at Eclipse because it’s where he learnt how to run a salon but, desperate to work in Covent Garden, in 1995 he chose to move to Paul Windle’s salon because “he had work from really cool photographers such as Glen Luchford in his windows”.

It must have been an omen, because that’s where Rudi met Eugene Souleiman, who told him he loved his work and that he shouldn’t try and copy anyone else’s, and that’s how Rudi ended up assisting Eugene at the shows, and where Rudi excelled and found his niche. And that’s how a career in session was born.

The Motif, photography by Casper Wackerhausen-Sejersen

How important to your session career were those early years working in salons?

My time in the salon was genuinely formative in so many ways. For example, when I was at Eclipse I assisted an Afro hair specialist called Randolph Gray, who did tonnes of clients all day long, so I had to learn how to work with Afro hair. At that time it was unusual for white hairdressers to have much experience with Afro hair, it was a totally separate industry in a way. But I was exposed to it quite early on in my career, and it’s meant that I’ve always been confident with all textures of hair.

Paul Windle had run the academy at Sassoon and there was a culture of very technical haircutting at [his salon] Windle when I joined. I noticed there was this guy who used to pop in now and again and do these insanely good haircuts. It was Eugene Souleiman, and he’s one of the most unique and brilliant people I have ever met in my life. After he’d seen me a few times he said to me, “Why are you trying to cut hair like everybody else?” And I was like, “What do you mean?” And he said, “Don’t try to be like them because you’ve got your own thing going on. You’ve got great hands.” And that was the most inspirational thing anyone had ever said about my work. And funnily enough I had actually suffered from impostor syndrome at Windle, because I felt like I wasn’t as good or as technical as the other stylists there.

When Eugene asked me to come and do some shows with him, I had to ask Paul for permission because I was a very busy stylist. At that time, the session world was very separate from salon – if you wanted to become a session stylist, it was either because you thought you were better than anyone else in the salon or you just wanted to get out of there. But Paul saw that it could be very interesting if we could learn session techniques and bring them into our work in the salon, that it would be a very good USP for the business. And it was around this time we also connected with Bumble & bumble (Windle went on to become a distributor for the brand) and its entire product range was based on session. We also had magazine journalists coming into the salon and they would say, “Oh, can you fix the hair on a shoot we’re doing for The Face this weekend?”, so I was starting to do a lot of shoots, as well.  When I look back, those were the golden years at Windle and I am still very proud of that time because I think we created a direction in hair salons and hairdressing that was totally new and really very good. We produced a lot of excellent hairdressers who went on to do great things.

“You can get these jobs where you get a chemistry going and that can be really liberating”

i-D, photography by Josh Olins

Vogue Scandinavia, photography by Gregory Harris

That’s a heck of a start, assisting Eugene. So where did things go from there? How did you get your first break as an independent?

After I left Windle, I moved to Sweden to be with my partner, but I kept flying back to London to do clients. By that time, it was becoming more acceptable to flick back and forth between salon and session, so I was freelancing at salons like Michael Van Clarke, who was happy for me to juggle clients in between shoots, and Daniel Hersheson, whose son Luke was also getting started in session around then. I joined an agency that was mainly based out of New York and things blew up very quickly. Within a matter of weeks I was shooting my first covers for Vogue and was even commissioned to shoot a hair story for Paris Vogue, which was mind-blowing at the time!

How confident were you in your work, given how quickly things were moving?

Even to this day I always have a slight panic before I go on a job, and I think I need it. I don’t like it, and it makes me uncomfortable, but I think that if I didn’t have it, I would probably get lazy. But then you can get these jobs where you just click with the rest of the team, you get a chemistry going and that can be really liberating, so it really depends on the job. If I’m going into a job with people I’ve worked with a lot and they clearly like what I do, then I feel free to push myself more. But when I’m working with a client for the first time, my tendency is to go back to ‘hair salon guy’ and approach it like a consultation and ask them about their expectations so I can deliver what they want really well. I’m quite a thorough consultant [he laughs]. But I will probably always have a bit of impostor syndrome.

How would you describe your aesthetic? What is it that people book you for?

I don’t really like perfection. I like there to be elements present in the hair that are human – something that you know the hairdresser did, like a little tuft of hair that goes that way or one that goes over there. I always need to break the thing. Even when I do the most perfect shape, I’ll just do one little tweak, I can’t help myself. My silhouettes are coming from things that I think are cool and rooted in subculture. So, people like Morrissey, Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, Kurt Cobain, Nick Cave, Marianne Faithfull… you know, just iconic musicians that I grew up listening to. Even when I’m working on a glamorous high fashion shoot, I tend to reinterpret those looks. I also do some abstract work, creating wigs out of materials that aren’t hair, like buttons or safety pins, but the silhouette is always a recognisable hairstyle, like a bob, or a beehive, but in plastic or something. I want people to see that. Maybe they don’t, but it’s there if you look.

Out of Order, photography by Sølve Sundsbø

Self Service, photography by David Armstrong

And how have you managed to stay true to your aesthetic throughout your career?

It’s something that I’m more aware of now. I think earlier in my career I did projects that were more commercial or high glamour, and I went along with it because I was working with all the big names. But looking back, I always felt that I didn’t really belong. So, I made a conscious effort to go back to my roots and do projects that felt authentic to me. It was around this time that I began to contribute to Beauty Papers magazine, which was looking for work that was coming from a less obviously commercial place, less product-oriented. The projects I’ve done for them have been very much my aesthetic and it was a real turning point for me because it gave me the opportunity to showcase a more intelligent kind of hair story. So, nowadays I’m quite careful only to take on projects that are true to my style.

Session is a competitive industry. How do you stay sane?

I used to be pretty competitive. I would flick through magazines, and it would make me feel envious, thinking, ‘Why didn’t I get that job?’ or whatever. But one of my best friends is a stylist who has gone on to become one of the biggest names in the fashion industry. I remember having a conversation with him some years ago and he said, “The funny thing is, it’s never how you think it is. So, sometimes you don’t get a job and you think it’s because you’re not good enough or someone doesn’t want to work with you. And it’s totally understandable that you would think like that because you don’t have all the information. But I’m in that room when the conversations are taking place, and it literally could be just a random reason why someone else gets the job. It’s not personal at all”. So, that was good to know and understand, I do try to keep a healthy distance from these things nowadays. I do feel like I deserve to be where I am. Sometimes you don’t get the job and a week later something else great comes in.

The Last Magazine, photography by Nathaniel Goldberg

Who do you enjoy collaborating with? Who brings out your best work?

When I work, I’m always stood right next to the photographer, constantly touching the hair and changing things because I know photographers respond to that. I see how light falls on the hair and I see how the hair might affect the light on the face, things like that. A lot of hairdressers are thinking about their hairstyle; but I’m thinking about the picture. I’ve done a couple of projects with Paolo Roversi, which was very liberating. I have also done some amazing shoots with a Swedish photographer called Julia Hetta, where I really got to push it and do some great hair. I also got to work with David Bailey, which I absolutely loved because he’s a legend. But right now I’m really enjoying working with new, up-and-coming photographers. I’m working with a guy called Sam Rock, who is just killing it at the moment, he’s an amazing talent. Another great one I shoot with is Drew Vickers, and it’s always very collaborative with him. I like it when I’m able to have a voice and some creative influence over the outcome of the shoot.

Everyone’s a photographer on social! Are you a fan?

Sometimes I feel that we’re drowning in imagery. The algorithm means that great work is getting diluted by the mediocre work that surrounds it. People barely look at things for more than a few seconds, so I think that’s a downside. It’s the constant scroll on the phone! I used to be a voracious reader, I’d read a book every week, and then because of looking at my phone there was a time when it was taking me months. And so, I just checked out from it. I wasn’t posting anything at all. Right now, we’re trying to detox in our house a little bit, so the kids get an hour when they’re home from school where they can chill and be on their iPads or whatever, and then we all switch everything off so no one’s on their phone in the evening. I just think it’s healthy, you know.

For me it’s all about doing stuff that I really enjoyed before in the analogue world, and then getting to a place where I’ve generated enough work that I actually want to post on social media. It’s why I’ve found myself this little salon-cum-studio space in Stockholm and I’m going to make it this place where every week someone comes over, a bit like a go-see, and I’m going to do their hair and then shoot them, so I generate my own imagery in a quiet, organic, real kind of way. It won’t be retouched and it will be done in my own time, not rushed, like on work shoots, just me and that person. That’s the goal for me. That’s how I’m able to compute social media.

“I see how light falls on the hair and I see how the hair might affect the light on the face, things like that.  A lot of hairdressers are thinking about their hairstyle; I’m thinking about the picture”

What’s exciting you right now?

Well, my energy and focus is really on the new place. As well as being a little salon to do clients, and the portrait studio, I am planning to publish my own little books and ’zines, I’m about to release the first one, which is a collaboration with a young Scottish photographer called Rachel Lamb, we cast it and shot it all in Glasgow. I even borrowed my old boss James Margey’s salon to do all the haircuts. So, it was kind of full circle for me. I am really excited about that project because I’m not just the hairdresser, I’m the creative director and publisher too. I guess it’s a response to the digital and AI thing, I just wanted to make something tactile, that doesn’t just exist online.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

Lots of decisions are difficult because you have to confront fear – your own or someone else’s – but I guess moving to Sweden would have to be up there. After 20 years in London, it was a real gamble. It’s tough to maintain a successful career, learn a new language, start over, make new friends when you travel as much as I do. My new studio is also a big risk because I’ve been so transient for so long now that it’s a bit scary putting roots down. I’ve invested a lot of money, time and energy into it.

You’ve spent a long time in the session world. Any advice for someone just starting out?

There’s something very authentic and approachable about the new generation of hairdressers working in session, and what they’re doing is actually informing a lot of the work that more established artists are doing. You’ve got all these gender-fluid, non-conformist kids who have all that language around their work and everybody wants to be in that space now, right? I mean, traditionally, all the big ideas would come from the fashion industry and trickle out into society but now those ideas are coming from young people and fashion is trying to keep up. So, what I would urge young session stylists to do is shoot with your friends, own your identity, show it through your skills because what you’re doing is interesting and it is changing the world. And it looks great!

Tim Binnington Turned Down Investment In His Brush Business From Dragons Den – And Here’s Why

Tim Binnington Turned Down Investment In His Brush Business From Dragons Den – And Here’s Why

Tim Binnington Turned Down Investment In His Brush Business From Dragons Den – And Here’s Why

The man who helped build the Headmasters empire is striking out once again

by CATHERINE | DOCUMENTS

For over 30 years Tim Binnington worked tirelessly as part of a team that grew the Headmasters group to a staggering 56 salons – one of the UK’s biggest – with a combined turnover of £32 million. Nobody would have batted an eyelid if he’d shown up for work one day and announced he was going to golf his way through retirement. Instead, in 2024 he’s busier than ever running a completely different business – the Manta, a revolutionary hairbrush that aims to stop breakage while boosting shine.

The Manta came about in 2014 when Tim’s wife Dani was suffering from a life-threatening illness that caused her hair to fall out. As it started to grow back Tim saw how ordinary brushes caused pain and breakage. Dani could only bear to use her fingers as a comb, and that’s when Tim got the idea.

Creating a hairbrush that was as gentle as running your fingers through hair was the goal, but it also needed to protect and stimulate hair growth, working with hair and not against it. “If you brush your hair with your fingers, and you come up against a knot you don’t just yank it – you put a pin in the knot and give it a little wiggle to loosen it. That was my eureka moment,” says Tim. So began a labour of love that, 10 years and £600k of their own money down the line, he and Dani are still completely absorbed in.

Tim Binnnington

“It took almost five years just to develop the Manta,” says Tim, who now is something of an expert on how brushes are manufactured (want to know the difference between a single shot mould and a twin-shot overmould? Tim’s your man). “I needed it to be totally flexible, quite unlike anything else on the market, and it had to be made of materials that feel really good on the skin.”  Guess where he found what he was looking for. That’s right, the adult toy world.

“I know, I know,” he laughs. “But I wanted the experience of massing your scalp or brushing your hair to be sensual and enjoyable, because from my years as a hairdresser I knew that what people love most is getting their hair washed. Traditional brush manufacturers couldn’t help me, so I ended up at Love Honey, where I found materials that were sensual, hypoallergenic, heat-resistant, durable, easy to clean and – even though you don’t need this in an adult toy –anti-static too. So, basically, everything I needed.”

When the Manta eventually launched in June 2018, it looked unlike anything else on the market. Its Flexguard technology, where each bristle sits on its own base and moves 360 degrees independently through the hair, was so unique it was patented. It sits comfortably in the palm of your hand so you can move and manipulate the brush as you see fit, following the contours of your head and allowing the bristles to glide along and not pull on the hair.

“When we launched, we had such a great reaction from salons,” says Tim, “and they are really important to us were originally going to be our main retail outlets. But as soon as it started moving, we had Covid and as everything shut down, we had to pivot online and focus more on the consumer.”

Fortunately for Tim, something else that came out of Covid was thinning hair, and a newfound consumer awareness of the importance of hair and scalp health. Good news for for Manta sales, surely, as the brush has the added benefit of gently exfoliating the scalp, creating a flake-free, product buildup-free, healthier scalp, which is perfect for hair growth.

“Absolutely,” says Tim. “Everyone is more aware and we are in more demand. We’re launching in Boots this year, in a healthy hair and scalp section. We’re sold on 15 airlines but we’ve just launched on Emirates Airlines as well because they’ve recently introduced a healthy hair and scalp section. And we sell in places like South Korea and Japan, where they’ve always been into scalp health.”  A key promotional channel has been QVC, both in the UK and the US, as that’s where Tim gets to actually demonstrate Manta’s point of difference from competitors such as Tangle Teezer and WetBrush.

Did someone mention Tangle Teezer? When creator Shaun Pulfrey appeared on Dragons Den in 2007, he was famously rejected by the Dragons who told him hjis brush to detangle knotty hair was “a waste of time” (Pulfrey subsequently sold a majority state in his business for £70 million). Earlier this year, Tim and his wife Dani also walked out of the Dragons Den empty-handed – not because they didn’t receive investment offers, but because they turned them down.

The duo had asked for a £240,000 investment for four per cent of their company. Three Dragons – Peter Jones, Sara Davies and Touker Souleyman – were interested, but they all wanted far more equity than Tim and Dani were prepared to sacrifice.

“We valued the business a lot higher than the Dragons would, but our experience in the Den made us realise the extent of the value of our business,” says Tim. “There are millions of people who are suffering with hair breakage and thinning hair, which Manta can help. Sadly, the Dragons were more interested in the money than solving the problem.”

The Manta family continues to grow.

With the bit clearly between his teeth, Tim continues to innovate. Alongside the original Manta, there’s now a Manta incorporating a mirror for on-the-go touch-ups and a pulsating version, known as Pulse, that uses vibration either to invigorate hair and scalp, or relieve stress and tension. And the newest addition is the Manta Kinks, Coils and Curls, especially developed for the unique needs of 3a to 4c curly hair. Together, the Manta family has won almost 40 awards – including Creative HEAD’s Most Wanted Award for Innovation in 2020 – and as a nod to where the journey originally began, Manta have donated almost 8,000 brushes over the years to The Little Princess Trust, a charity supplying real hair wigs, free of charge, to children who have lost their own hair due to cancer treatment or other conditions.

“If you brush your hair with your fingers, and you come up against a knot you don’t just yank it – you put a pin in the knot and give it a little wiggle to loosen it. That was my eureka moment.” 

“The business is doing well,” says Tim, who still squeezes in one day a week at Headmasters, and who credits a lot of Manta’s success to the team who work with him. “We have got our original investment back, but to be honest I didn’t go into it to make money – it’s only ever been about helping people. My goal is to get more and more people changing the way they brush their hair. And even if they say, ‘I’ll never use a Manta, but I’m going to mindfully brush my hair and be careful with my scalp,’ we will have achieved something. Because when a woman gets to 60, 70 or 80 she will have better hair, and that will make her feel better about herself and have more confidence. And the better you feel, the better you are to others, so it makes the world a better place.”

Nicola Coughlan is Talk of the ’Ton

Nicola Coughlan is Talk of the ’Ton

Nicola Coughlan is Talk of the ’Ton

Session stylist Halley Brisker lifts the lid on working with the Bridgerton star as its third series hits Netflix.

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Custom lace front wig for the Met Gala 2022, with colour by Jason Hogan

Dearest readers… Whether you are a Bridgerton fanatic, a member of the Polin fandom or have never watched an episode at all, you’ve most probably come across Nicola Coughlan at some point in the past few years. From Derry Girls to Big Mood, she has a knack of creating ‘wow’ moments that love to go viral. That’s in part due to her role as Penelope Featheringtonin the Netflix hit Bridgerton, and also because she enjoys an exploratory sense of style that captures attention online and on social media.

One of the more misunderstood parts of my job is the ‘style journey’ as I like to call it, which myself and other glam team members craft through the unique partnership we create with our clients. Almost everybody has a personal sense of style but when one also has a public-facing life, there often isn’t time to take care of hair, make-up and wardrobe choices when carrying out duties that come with the role. That’s where professionals come in…

Going red for the Barbie premiere in London

Met Gala 2022

However, where it gets particularly exciting is when my clients want to go a step beyond the expected and craft a style iconography. I’ve worked with a breadth of talent over the years; many like to execute minimal changes to their personal style and have us perform only that, as best we know how for them. Then others want to push the boundaries of style, which for any creative is a form of pure joy. Nicola has always been someone with a love of style and the courage to be dynamic. We met – along with make-up artist Neil Young, stylist Aimee Croysdill and nail technician Michelle Class – on a photoshoot for Refinery29 in 2020. Nicola was already established thanks to her role in the hit show Derry Girls, and was due to appear in the debut season of Bridgerton. We had no idea how big that show would become nor the importance of the role of Penelope Featherington within the Bridgerton universe!

 

 

 

 

 

“Nicola has always been someone with a love of style and the courage to be dynamic”

Halley Brisker

Halley Brisker

It often takes time to discover what our clients’ goals are when working with glam teams. In the nearly four years we’ve worked together as a team of creatives alongside Nicola, we’ve created looks that have incorporated extensive product knowledge – from the oily, sleek locks for the SAG Awards to textured, A-line bobs at The Baftas. Hair piece sourcing for faux bangs at front row shows for Miu Miu in Paris and braided hair bows for the Stylist magazine awards in London. We’ve experimented with colour too; Nicola went red for the Barbie premiere in London and with the custom-coloured lace front wig I created for Nicola at the 2022 Met Gala, Jason Hogan at Josh Wood Atelier painstakingly coloured it to complement a bespoke Richard Quinn dress.

 

Halley and the glam team at work behind the scenes

Stylist Magazine Awards, 2022

Throughout this incredible style journey we’ve gone on together, the thread that has been a relative constant has been Bridgerton, which has just launched its third season. That instalment sees Nicola’s character take centre stage in the plot, to become…  nope, I’m not giving anything away!

It’s no coincidence that as looks go, the hair finish in New York was one of our most straightforward; sometimes we ‘grow as we go’. Of course, I have no idea what the future looks like for Bridgerton or Penelope, but to see hundreds of fans turn out for Nicola was a special moment and a perfect opportunity to create simple, elegant looks for this milestone moment.

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