40 years of Paul Edmonds London: Shaping the Future of Hairdressing
From teaching to advising the government, Paul uses his expertise to educate and inspire.
This week, we're continuing our series of blogs looking back at Paul's incredible career as we mark 40 years of the Paul Edmonds London brand.
After beginning his career as a hairdressing apprentice in the Midlands, Paul moved to London and opened his first salon in 1984.
Asked by make-up designer Pam Meagre - who was head of the famous BBC make-up and hair training school - to teach BBC trainees how to cut and style hair, he then went on to cut the hair of hundreds of famous actors for film and TV projects but continued to educate hairdressers in the salon and is still passionate about teaching to this day.
"I love that you can pass on your knowledge and help people understand something that they initially believe is really hard," Paul says.
"There are two sides to hairdressing. There's the technical side and there's the artistic side, and then there's the melding together of the two things, which is what I try to teach."
He's learned that it's important to find a balance between the two elements: "I remember when I was learning how to teach I spent five hours doing a haircut because I was doing everything very precisely, but it was probably one of the ugliest haircuts I ever did in my life - technically perfect but with no feeling of soul!"
He's also learned there's a big difference between editorial looks and the hair you're creating for clients in salon: "The other thing with hair is it grows, and you want that haircut to look great for at least five or six weeks, not just a moment in time."
Teaching isn't always easy, because ultimately the buck stops with the teacher.
"You learn from students' mistakes," Paul says. "When you're teaching one of the things that's great is when someone makes a huge error, because you then have to think about how to get out of it without the person in the chair crying - it can be a bit stressful!"
STARS ON THE RISE
Throughout the years, Paul has taught trainees who have gone on to become famous hairdressers in their own right, including Errol Douglas, Richard Ward and Umberto Giannini. Did Paul recognise their talents at the time?
"Yes, you could tell they were going to be brilliant," he says. "Umberto, who sadly died, was an incredible hairdresser, but it's not just to do with the haircut, it's to do with the personality and determination that goes with it."
Along with having top-notch technical know-how and artistic flair, a truly great hairdresser must also have impeccable people skills.
"I always say the hardest thing about hairdressing is not the hair, it's what's underneath," Paul says. "It's learning how to deal with individuals. I'm not downplaying their technical skills, but it's important that what they produce makes the client feel happy and secure."
Recalling a recent encounter in the salon, he continues: "One of our clients said that she loved coming here because it's much cheaper than going to see a psychologist! And at the end she said she felt better and looked better too."
SUCCESS AND STAYING POWER
A solid hairdressing education is key for any aspiring salon owner, but perseverance and adaptability are also important.
"The number of new salons opening every year is nearly equal to the number that are closing," Paul says, which is why it's all the more remarkable to reach the 40th-anniversary milestone this year.
"A lot of people tend to make the mistake of trying to stay with what they know, but you have to change and adapt. That's part of why I continue to teach and learn, updating my own techniques ."
As well as spearheading the salon's in-house education, Paul is often drafted in by big-name hair brands to work on their teaching programmes.
"I've worked with brands like L'Oreal, Wella and Schwarzkopf," he says. "It's mutually beneficial because it makes them look good to be working with professionals and from our point of view we get exposure to a different part of hairdressing."
ADVISING ON APPRENTICESHIPS
As chair of the government's hair and beauty apprenticeship board, Paul attends meetings at the Houses of Parliament to give feedback on proposed changes to the scheme that provides in-salon experience alongside technical training.
"There are two elements to the boards," he explains. "The Trailblazers are the creators of the apprenticeships programme and then there are business owners who consider do these programmes fulfil the future needs of our industry. We work together to produce a robust training system for the future.
"It's expanded from hair and beauty to tattooing and aesthetics, so it's actually a lot wider than it was to begin with. Everyone has something they want to champion so it's trying to work out how we can do that."
Bringing his industry expertise to the table has been a learning process for Paul, too: "I went into it as a novice who didn't really know anything about how government works and I had to learn all about it."
ELEVATING THE INDUSTRY
Paul's first foray into hairdressing was the byproduct of failing to get the grade he needed on a physics exam, which is why he's proud that the industry welcomes such a diverse range of people.
"Very often people go into hairdressing who don't fit into 'normal' ways of working, so it's one of those trades that fits a lot of people. It's a creative industry, but you're using your brain in a slightly different way."
He believes that hairdressers are often underestimated, and he wants to change that perception.
"I remember talking to a junior who wanted to be an apprentice. I said, 'Have you always wanted to do hairdressing? and she said, 'No, but my teacher said I was too thick to do anything else so probably hairdressing will suit me.'
"I was completely shocked by it, so I went to the headmaster of the school and got them to send the teachers into the salon to understand how a hairdresser works. By the end, they did change their view. They said, 'Oh god, you need to know so much.'"
Throughout his career and while being chair of the route panel for hair and beauty, Paul has tried to change the hair and beauty stereotype of someone who is only able to ask you if you're going away on holiday to a highly trained individual with a huge amount of knowledge
"I want to upgrade hairdressing," he says. "I think it's very often dismissed as being full of people who are dropouts of the education system. I want it to be perceived as a valuable and worthwhile profession."
What's Paul's advice for anyone thinking about going into hairdressing?
"Try it out," he says. "I came into hairdressing almost by accident because I wanted to go into design but screwed up on getting into college, so I started doing it as a part-time job but ended up loving it. It's been a blast - I'm still waiting to get a 'proper job' one of these days!"
40 years of showbiz success
From working in the BBC's hair and make-up department to training in salon and advising the apprenticeship board, Paul's passion for teaching has never wavered.
As he celebrates 40 years since the opening of his eponymous salon, Paul is looking to the future and is still continually learning himself.
He's proud to be part of a diverse, evolving industry that offers brilliant educational and creative opportunities to the next generation of hairdressing stars.
Want to experience Paul's exceptional styling skills? Book an appointment with the man himself at Paul Edmonds London.
