Hair industry legend simon forbes has sadly passed away

With great sadness we announce the passing of industry legend, Simon Forbes, who died on 9 May 2020, following a long illness. Simon will always be remembered and respected for ingenuity and forward-thinking creativity. His invention of Monofibre hair extensions revolutionised hairdressing, opening up a whole new creative dimension with the hair extensions category. He was a loyal supporter of both HJ and Salon International through the 1980s and 1990s. Former HJ editor of that time, Maria Weijers, to share her personal tribute to Simon… “Simon Forbes was an extraordinary man, a huge character, a true individual. Highly intelligent, intuitive, inventive, creative, a great hairdresser, educator… blessed with a quick wit, an irreverent sense of humour and splendid sense of the ridiculous. “A man of his word, he was always charming, polite, courteous, but unafraid to speak his mind and he didn’t suffer fools gladly. From a professional point of view, his outstanding contribution to the salon industry can never be over-estimated and must never be overlooked. “Simon shot from the hip and as I am equally direct – well, we fast became friends. We worked together on many events, exhibitions and hair shows, remaining friends even when I’d left HJ. We’d meet often for long lazy lunches, put the world to rights and laugh away the afternoon. Simon was kind, considerate and always an utter gentleman. I was terribly fond of Simon and his passing renders me sad and very downcast. My deepest condolences go out to his family. He was a man ahead of his time and tragically has left us way too early.” Fellowship for British Hairdressing Patron D’Honneur, Ann Herman says... “Simon Forbes, Fellowship President 1994 – 1996; how I loved him. Dear Simon brought a new look to the Fellowship and was responsible for recruiting many new young members. I worked closely with him during his presidency, including a trip to New York, where we staged a show in the Javits Centre which greatly impressed American hairdressers. Happy days… how I will miss him.” Headmasters creative and communications director, Andrew Barton says...  “Simon always had the courtesy to show interest in my work, giving me encouragement to succeed. Conversations with Simon were always stimulating and thought provoking, making me think about all kinds of possibilities. Inspiring and innovative, his creativity made a mark on me as a young hairdresser. We were proud to add Antenna’s contribution to hairdressing in my exhibition, Beehives, Bobs & Blowdries.” Session hairdresser Keith Harris says... “I’m really saddened to hear about Simon, terrible news that we have lost him. Simon was a generous, kind and educated man, a hairdressing genius who happened to be light years ahead of everybody else.” Please contact HJ if you would like to share your own personal tribute to Simon. 

Simon Forbes September 1950 – 9 May 2020

Destined to become an industry icon of international repute, Simon’s hairdressing career began aged 16 with an apprenticeship in a Surrey salon, following public school education. An early, brief departure from the salon world saw Simon working in an advertising agency, ahead of expressing his creativity designing, manufacturing and selling jewellery and furniture from a stall in London’s Kensington Market. Returning to hairdressing in the early 1970s, by the middle of the decade, Simon had progressed to become creative director for the (now ceased) London-based Alan International group, with its 25 high-end salons and comprehensive education centre. However, as the 1970s developed, disenchantment about unchanging salon work (which hadn’t moved on much since the 60s) set in, with Simon becoming increasingly energised by the fresh rawness of punk. In 1980, Simon opened his own salon, Antenna, in London’s Kensington. The salon itself was as different to the norm as the work coming out of it. It was a unique, one-of-a-kind place. Situated in a former stable, its painted black exterior housed an eccentric interior, awash with unexpected pieces: old barbers’ chairs, unusual iron furniture, offbeat pieces of sculpture, odd lights and a teeny narrow spiral staircase. In Antenna, Simon abandoned the traditional concept of salon work in favour of radical styling for a largely punk clientele wanting something extreme. Hair was disregarded for its integrity and traditional techniques were ignored. It was all about creating the look, the effect that people wanted, irrespective of how it was achieved. People arrived with short hair and left with head-turning looks: shaved through the sides, ragtails, bobtails, dreadlocks, straightened, clippered and razored into uneven shapes with random splashes of colour. It was while creating these new punk styles that Simon’s inventive creativity came to the fore. He wanted to find a way to add hair as opposed to cutting it off. Enter his most memorable invention: Monofibre synthetic hair extensions, a process of weaving and attaching acrylic hair to natural hair. Simon had picked up on the Zeitgeist and Antenna’s edgy and funky vibe fast became the go-to destination for cool new-wave bands such as the Eurythmics, Stray Cats, Duran Duran and the Thompson Twins. Antenna’s colourful Monofibre extensions seen on Boy George singing Karma Chameleon on ‘Top of the Pops’ helped catapult recognition, popularity and demand, leading to Simon starting Dome Cosmetics in 1986 to market Monofibre extensions, application tools and accessories in the UK, then worldwide. Hair extension choice may now abound, but Simon Forbes was the undisputed inventor and creator of the category. Keen to always progress salon industry development and success, Simon accepted the role of President of The Fellowship for British Hairdressing from 1994 to 1996 and was recognised with the Millennium Award for Innovation in 2000. Once Antenna closed its doors for good, Simon turned his skills to film direction and personal pursuits, forging artistic metal sculptures being just one of many.