Ben cooke on his career, lockonego and posh
Published
17th Oct 2007
by Admin
When I came back to London and started working on British magazines, I used to do a lot of work for Cosmopolitan.
One month I worked on the front cover with Melanie C of the Spice Girls, and we got on so well she said I had to meet the rest of the group.
Soon after I worked on the Christmas special for Top of the Pops with the girls, met Victoria and David, and that was the start of it all. In the past six years Victoria and I have become very close and worked together regularly.
You and Victoria are obviously close. What’s the secret to building such a good relationship with a client?
With high-profile clients you need huge amounts of discretion and loyalty. And, as with any client, understanding their needs and listening to what they want from their hairstyle is also really important.
Victoria and I have such a laugh together, which makes our working relationship a brilliant one, but some clients prefer to sit quietly. It’s essential to be able to adapt to suit your client.
Do you feel under pressure when creating a new look for a high-profile client?
Not really. My concentration is always focused on the client, not on the reaction other people will have to the style. It’s the client I want to please, not the press.
It’s all about customer satisfaction and my clients are always the most important people.
Fashion is clearly very important to Victoria. How much input does she have when creating her hairstyles?
Victoria always has an eye on next season’s fashions, so she often comes to me with ideas, which we develop together. The first time we created the Pob – and I didn’t call it that! – she loved it.
For about a year we had been talking about her going blonde, which she said she had always wanted to try. She was thrilled with the result.
How does it feel when Victoria’s latest hairstyle is on the front page of every newspaper?
It’s quite strange – but amazing. Many hairdressers do great haircuts every day; I’m just exceptionally lucky that my clients – especially Victoria – are people who are constantly being watched and photographed.
As for women copying Victoria’s look, that’s hugely flattering too. Seeing big American stars like Rihanna or Jenny McCarthy get their hair cut like Victoria’s shorter style is wonderful. It’s definitely proving a popular look in the US.
We’ve seen you on TV lately. How do you feel about becoming well-known in your own right?
It’s very strange. But I can’t lie – it’s flattering as well and does make me smile.
I’d much rather work with people who are in the limelight than be in the limelight myself. But it’s nice to be recognised by people in the industry for being good at what I do.
Who inspires you and why?
I worked with Guido Paulo for years, assisting him on Fashion Week shows. He’s an amazing hairdresser.
I’m also a fan of Serge Normant, a French hairdresser who creates very high fashion looks. His coffee table book, Metamorphosis, is beautiful.
While Guido’s work is edgy and raw, Serge’s is all about sexy, glamorous Hollywood hair.
What’s next for Lockonego?
We’re aiming to open a salon in Los Angeles. It’s a slow process but hopefully it will come together soon.
We’re also working on a line of products, which is really exciting. We’re still talking about formulas and ingredients, and have no idea yet when the products will be out, but we want to ensure everything is absolutely right when we launch.
Jonathan and I have an amazing team at the salon and there’s a great vibe there. I feel so lucky to be a part of it all.
