Hairstylist Laurent Philippon: 'Every Face Shape, Hair Texture, and Woman Can Look Stylish'
Laurent Philippon in front of his first salon. (Photo: Courtesy of Laurent Philippon)
Hair stylist extraordinaire Laurent Philippon has been working in the beauty industry since he was 15 years old. Today, his work can be seen in Numero, French Vogue, French Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and many more magazines. Along with his editorial work, he currently serves as Bumble and bumble’s artistic director, dreaming up new products, images, and training programs. He also authored the gorgeous hardcover Hair: Fashion and Fantasy, a compilation of extraordinary hairstyles throughout history. A French native, he divides his time between Paris and New York. Here he shares about his rise to fame in the beauty industry and all the tips he learned upon the way.
Where I grew up in France, it’s a small town close to Geneva but on the French side. I grew up in a cute little house by the forest. I was very close to nature, but it was also kind of an industrial city. We were like the poor people in the wealthy area. All my friends had glamorous mothers. Some were dressed in Chanel Haute Couture and some were getting their hair cut in Paris. It was my first window I had looking into glamour.
Hairstylist Laurent Philippon started his career as a child. (Photo: Mohamed Khalil)
My dad was a barber and I started working for him just for the money, really. I had no interest in the beginning. It was a very manly place with men talking only about soccer and fishing. There was nothing glamorous about it. Then I started doing the hair of my girl friends in town. I was around 12 or 13 then. It was very experimental! Eventually, some mothers asked me for services, but that was a little later on after I started my apprenticeship at what I thought was my town’s best salon. The salon followed the Vidal Sassoon school and that was my first introduction to women’s haircutting. It was all about the cut; sometimes there was not even a blow dry. I was only 15 then. I left my regular schooling early. I didn’t finish the minimum amount of regular school. I couldn’t take it any more. And there was this big attraction to hair for me. Also at the salon, there were the fashion magazines. I didn’t have access to them before really. My mother wasn’t a fashion magazine reader. I started looking at Elle and Vogue and that’s when I thought, “Wow, there’s a possibility of doing hair as a fashion sort of business.”
Laurent Philippon once worked as a fireman. (Photo: Courtesy of Laurent Philippon)
At 16, I started doing hair contests. The hairstyles of the time were about perms and asymmetrical haircuts— all the very ‘80s looks. I became champion of my area, which was the Alps. Then I represented my region in the French national contest and won. Then, I went to the European contests and won that as well. I was 17. A year later, I represented France at the World Championships and got number 4. The contests gave me a lot of self-assurance. But even being very secure in my skills, I probably would not have moved to Paris had it not been for my military service. In France, at the time, it was mandatory. I was 1988, when I was called to service and I moved to Paris because my assignment was there as a fireman — a fireman!
Laurent Philippon working at Alexandre de Paris’s salon. (Photo: Courtesy of Laurent Philippon)
When I got to Paris, I didn’t know anybody. As a fireman, I had all my Saturdays off. I didn’t know what to do. So I thought, I’ll go knock on the door of Alexandre de Paris, who was one of my heroes. I walked in, and I saw him across the room. I didn’t check into reception, I just walked straight to him and told him my story. He was a bit speechless at first. I told him, I would work for him for free. I was fresh and cute and this countryside-bred young fireman and I think he was charmed.
Laurent Philippon with Yves Saint Laurent. (Photo: Courtesy of Laurent Philippon)
I got hired and spent all my Saturdays of my 10-month military service there and then got hired full-time after that. At the time, Alexandre was doing all the shows: Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Christian Lacroix, Ungaro. So I fell into this all at once. It was absolutely magical. He was such an incredible talent and he was a very elegant person as well. He taught me all the classic French techniques like Marcel waving and all the Brigitte Bardot kind of hairstyles, which were about volume and kind of ‘60s. I would say that look never went out of fashion. It’s such a feminine look and it’s influenced me all through my career. In fact, the Bardot texture and look is what influenced me with a lot of the Bumble and bumble products like the mattifying hair powders and Dryspun texture spray. I also love that Greta Garbo and Rita Hayworth look. And today, I do Dita von Teese’s hair for a lot of her appearances.
Laurent Philippon with Christy Turlington. (Photo: Courtesy of Laurent Philippon)
By ’92, I left Alexandre’s because the salon was sold and I didn’t agree with the new leadership. I was doing a lot of work outside the salon by then and the model Kristen McMenamy was a friend. A couple nights after I left Alexandre, I met her at Les Bain Douches where she introduced me to Julien D’Ys and I joined his salon. It was such an extreme transition. Alexandre was all about perfection and Julien has such a punk approach to hair. They were actually complementary schools for me. With Julien, I started to forget about technique and really look at whose hair I’m doing.
In ’93, Julien founded an agency called Atlantis. It was maybe the best hair and makeup agency that ever existed. Guido, Orlando Pita, and Oribe were there. Sam McKnight was there. Everybody was there. I was still young and considered an assistant at the time and I learned so much. I was assisting Orlando backstage for Jean Paul Gaultier when I met Michael Gordon, who founded Bumble and bumble. He liked what I was doing and asked if I would give a class in New York right away. That was my beginning of my super long-term connection with Bumble. That was in ’94, which was also the year I started doing editorial. I was in Paris but started traveling to New York very early on. I started working for French Vogue with Michael Thompson and David LaChappelle and Mario Testino. There were some amazing shoots. One, I was working with Claudia Schiffer — we met actually when we were both 19 at her first Chanel show and I was working backstage for Alexandre — for a French Vogue shoot in ’95. It was my first big, big editorial. I remember David Copperfield sent her a huge bouquet of red roses!
Laurent Philippon for Bumble and bumble. (Photo: Regan Cameron)
Working with LaChappelle was really fun. Most of the shoots with him were for Italian Vogue and French Vogue. It was interesting because he was working with fashion editors, so they were adding a fashion level to his crazy photos. It worked really well.
I started working with Solve Sundsbo, I love his precision and his knowledge about his photography but also about hair and makeup, which to me is so crucial for a fashion photographer. Many of them don’t really know about hair and makeup, so it’s very nice to work with somebody who gets it.
Around that time it was the end of the supermodels and then Kate Moss came and later all those beautiful actresses. In the 2000s, celebrity really took hold. The truth is, I do celebrities often but it’s just not my thing. What I love is image making. Celebrities have become a necessary part of the work, but I totally treat them as a model. Sometimes, they are very opinionated, but if I feel strongly about something, I’m usually able to sell it.
Laurent Philippon for Bumble and bumble. (Photo: Regan Cameron)
I continued to work with Bumble and bumble — about 20 years! — and recently I was appointed artistic director. It was never my goal to take a position like that, but now I adore it. I get to work on product and create images for the brand. The industry has changed a lot since I started. It grew in new markets like China and South America. There’s definitely more work, but there are so many more people. It’s fine, though, because time acts as a filter. The best ones stay.
The one thing I’ll say is that sometimes the training is rushed today. I was an assistant for a long time. Hair is really a craft of experience and you become better and better the more face shapes and hair textures you encounter. Of course, there are always exceptions, but that’s more like one in every hundred years! My assistant right now, who is actually my nephew, has been assisting me for a year and he already feels like he’s ready. We’ll see. It’s the culture of today with Instagram and all the social networks, everything is happening so fast. Maybe he knows enough — and certainly you can base a career on just having a good eye. Personally, I’ve been especially obsessed with technique. That’s part of my signature. People in the industry would say I’m very skilled. I had very strong schooling and that’s how I bring out the best of every woman I style. Every face shape, hair texture, and woman can look interesting and stylish.
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