Paul Edmonds on his styling ‘superpower’ & the secret to a great cut
Looking back on the start of his career, Paul didn’t have his sights set on becoming a hairdresser.
Growing up in the West Midlands, he aspired to become an architect, but "fell into" hairdressing in his teens when he didn't get the grades necessary for an architecture course, instead taking up an apprenticeship at a salon in Birmingham at the suggestion of his then-girlfriend.
“I actually fell in love with hairdressing, partly because it suited my brain,” says Paul, who is dyslexic.
“One of the things that's kind of a ‘superpower’ about dyslexia is that you can visualise 3D images in your head, so I found hairdressing quite easy. I was very lucky to be good at it naturally, and it grew from there.”
Having an “artistic eye” also helped. “It's a case of trying to juggle the two things, because you want hairdressing to be intuitive, but you also need technical skill.”
After more than four decades in the business, Paul has mastered that blend, but how did he get here?
We asked the Paul Edmonds London founder to tell us how he developed his signature style, what it’s been like working with A-list celebrities and how he sees the brand developing in future…
WHO WERE YOUR EARLIEST INFLUENCES IN HAIRDRESSING?
“Iconic hairdressers like Vidal Sassoon and John Frieda were a huge influence on me. There were essentially two schools of thought in London in the 80s. The Sassoon approach was very technical, you did a haircut following a regime, and it could be quite a hard look. The John Frieda approach was more textural and not so structured. It was a softer look.”
WHEN DID YOU START TO DEVELOP YOUR SIGNATURE STYLE?
“I'd spent years doing Sassoon-style technical cuts and then from that I started developing my own personal look in my late 20s. I think the secret of a good haircut is if that person can go home and recreate the look easily. You need to have a strong haircut, but it’s also about the fine-tuning to make it easy for the individual to look after. That took time for me to develop.”
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SIGNATURE LOOK NOW?
“I like hair that looks sexy and natural. The client should be able to put their hands through their hair and tousle it up – that’s essential for me. Even short hair, like a bob, I’ll make it textured so that it can be worn in different ways. By adding my own technique of cutting through hair, I can make it easy to manipulate and make it look good all the time, not only when you’ve just left the salon.”
WHAT WAS YOUR HAIRDRESSING PHILOSOPHY WHEN YOU OPENED YOUR FIRST SALON IN LONDON IN 1984?
“I'd worked around London at different salons and I knew what I wanted. It was about the client being centre stage, not the hairdresser. Before that, there were a lot of 'God complex' hairdressers, where you went to them and they told you what haircut you should have. Some people like that, but I preferred it to be the client and hairdresser working together. You're looking at not just a haircut, but their lifestyle, how they're going to achieve that hairstyle on a daily basis, and if it fits in their life.”
YOU STARTED CUTTING THE HAIR OF FILM AND TV ACTORS WHO WERE SENT TO THE SALON BY BBC MAKE-UP ARTISTS. DID YOU EVER FEEL STARSTRUCK?
“Not very often. Occasionally, you'd get someone who had had a reputation for being tricky, and so you'd be a bit nervous about doing those. I remember when I did Michael Douglas’ hair for a film role, and I was thinking, ‘Oh my god, Michael Douglas is coming to the salon,’ because he’s such a big name. I wasn't particularly nervous, but I was thinking, ‘I hope it's all going to be alright,’ and in the end it was great. He is such a lovely guy.”
TELL US ABOUT THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE CELEBRITY HAIRSTYLES YOU’VE CREATED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
“Emma Thompson has amazing thick, wavy hair. She really suits short hair, has great bone structure and, in her own words, is still a bit rock and roll – she likes it to look edgy. This ties in with the characters she plays, but her personal look is much sharper.”
“Sam Smith had a quiffed look but we moved it onto a shorter, choppier look which is really easy for them to look good at any time, evolving the look to their personal style.”
“Michelle Dockery has naturally wavy, thick hair. When I first cut it for Downton Abbey I was cutting it into a bob, her own style is more broken up so we put light layers in it so she can wear it more natural. I think she really suits this colour and this easy-to-wear hair look. She has to morphed from a natural beauty to being more glamorous.”
WHAT’S YOUR ETHOS WITH THE SALON NOW?
“It's evolved over the years. We offer a luxury experience, but it's not just about the haircut or colour. It's the whole package that goes with it. Being pampered is still one of the few great luxuries, and the biggest luxury of all, of course, is time. Having someone spend time on you and help you look good is, I think, an amazing thing.
“The fit-out of the salon is also very luxurious. It's got the feeling of a very good boutique hotel, but there's a very fine balance of getting that feeling of luxury, but also friendliness. That's why the warm front of house welcome and having approachable staff is very important to us.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES A GREAT HAIR PRODUCT?
“A great hair product should help you to achieve a look easily and take the stress out of creating a look. It should look effortless.”
HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE PAUL EDMONDS LONDON BRAND DEVELOPING IN FUTURE?
“We want to maintain that feeling of luxury and approachability, that won’t ever change, but we live in a world where AI is being talked about a lot, so from a style point of view, there will be new techniques that come through.
“For example, we're doing barbering training today, we had hair extensions training earlier in the week, and there's been some colour training recently on ‘air touch,’ which is one of the newer methods of colouring hair. There's always something new which keeps it interesting for us, and we're looking at expanding the brand. We’ve got an exciting new Paul Edmonds product launch in the next few months, so stay tuned for news on that!”
The best of both worlds
Blending impeccable technical skills and artistic intuition, Paul developed his signature style, sculpting bespoke haircuts that clients can easily recreate at home.
Rebelling against haughty hairdressers who believed they knew best, Paul pioneered a client-centric approach early in his career, which remains the hallmark of Paul Edmonds London today.
Want to find out how Paul’s superpower styling could work for you? Book an appointment with the man himself at Paul Edmonds London.
