Trevor sorbie's life through a lens

Published 24th Apr 2008 by sophieh
Trevor sorbie's life through a lens

Trevor-Sorbie-main.jpg

Ask any young hairdresser who their hero is and chances are the reply will be Trevor Sorbie. Since he started his career more than 40 years ago, he has constantly pushed the boundaries and created groundbreaking images.

As well as photographic work, he has showcased ideas on stage that have been simply awe-inspiring.

"Calling someone a hero is a big deal," says Trevor. "What is a hairdressing hero? I believe it is someone who has gained respect from their peers and has created an image that stands the test of time."

Trevor has won more awards than any other hairdresser - he was crowned HJ's British Hairdresser of the Year a record four times - but he still remains one of the most modest and down-to-earth hairdressers you could ever meet. Here, are the stories behind the images that mark his legendary career.

the-frizz.jpg

Salon International

1994
scrunch.jpg

The scrunch

flame-girl.jpg

The flame

Salon International 1994

"I did a show at Salon International in 1994, which is the biggest stage in hairdressing. I created this look on stage and really hit the spot with this one. I set the ends of one length of hair on pins, which gave it a frizz similar to a fur collar. Since then The Frizz has been copied numerous times and every time it is a compliment. Hairdressers can be very secretive and don't want to reveal their techniques, but once you've done something you move on, so you might as well share it."

The scrunch

"I was working with John Frieda in 1979 and he had come up with a new method of drying hair. We towel-dried the hair and then finger-dried it, which took a while. One day I was running late and had a client with long, porous, thick hair. I wondered if I could accelerate the drying time by adding heat, so I finger-dried and scrunch-dried the hair while using a hairdryer. When she threw her hair back she had great volume and curl. Every time I did it, I got a result the client could do at home."

The flame

"In 1992 I was asked by an ad agency to do the hair for an advert to make the hair look like it was on fire. It took me five hours to create; backcombing, spraying and manipulating sections and hairpieces into a flame-like shape. I coloured it using water-soluble poster paint with a spray gun to get the flame effect. The photographer had placed coloured tissue paper over the lights and while we were shooting these caught fire and we had to evacuate the building! You can imagine the firemen's faces when they arrived at the studio."

Trevor-%26-award.jpg

British Hairdresser

of the Year
Wolf-Man.jpg

The wolfman

Trevor-%26-Anthony-Mascolo.jpg

Anthony Mascolo

British Hairdresser of the Year

"This is the second time I won HJ's British Hairdresser of the Year in 1986. I had already won it, so didn't expect to win it again and you can see the shock and disbelief on my face. It's important to get recognition from people in the industry and I think it's harder to impress other hairdressers than a client."

The Wolfman

"The Wolfman is my favourite invention, as it was a totally new way of thinking. The time was 1980 and people were still creating geometric styles with scissors, but I believed the opposite could work. So instead of cutting with scissors I cut with a razor, which gave a feather-like texture. The opposite of good colour is bad colour so I did a regrowth. I put three techniques together and what came out was The Wolfman. Punk inspired me at the time, and to this day people talk about it. Anything that stands the test of time is a classic - and this is."

Anthony Mascolo

"Anthony Mascolo had wanted to work with me for ages and I had always shied away. However, he was very persistent so I decided to give it a go. We did a shoot together in 2002 and it was one of the best days I have ever had in a studio. We have been friends for years."

THE-WEDGE-1974.jpg

The wedge
Trevor-%26-vidal.jpg

Vidal Sassoon
MBE---T.jpg

Trevor Sorbie MBE

The Wedge

"I was working with Vidal Sassoon at a show in Paris and created The Wedge on stage. The model was mobbed and I realised if I could do it once I could do it again. That is when my career really took off. It was a mistake that went right. I was trying to do a one-length cut and make the perimeter like a helmet. I didn't think the French would like it as it wasn't feminine enough. So I blow-dried it and brushed it off her face and it just happened. It was a cut for the 70s club scene and could be worn by men or women. It was the first haircut to get a double-page spread in Vogue."

Vidal Sassoon

"I became very good friends with Vidal Sassoon over the years and am absolutely in awe of what he has achieved. He has inspired me to try to carry his mantle further. He is my hero and always will be."

Trevor Sorbie MBE

"I collected my MBE in 2004 and it was one of the proudest days of my life. I have more than 40 awards but this was the icing on the cake. It was nice to gain public acceptance, not just hairdressing acceptance. It is very special."

Be inspired by more top hairdressers' photography

sophieh

sophieh

Published 24th Apr 2008

Trending

Have all the latest news delivered to your inbox

You must be a member to save and like images from the gallery.