Meet Nicholas French | GLOBAL HAIRDRESSING CONSULTANT

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicholas French and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicholas, what role has risk played in your life or career?
RISK TAKING IS REALLY WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT REGARDING MY WORK AND CAREER. IF YOU WANT TO STAND ALONE IN YOUR INDUSTRY YOU NEED TO EMBRACE FEAR AND NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP. IN THE WORLD OF THE HUMAN ART OF HAIR ONE HAS TO BE FEARLESS AND ALWAYS SAY TO YOURSELF “WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CREATED SOMETHING NEW FOR THE FIRST TIME”

INNOVATE DO NOT IMITATE IS MY CREED AND PUSHES ME TO TRY AND REACH FOR THE MOON AND YOU NEVER KNOW YOU MAY CATCH A STAR ON THE WAY DOWN.

ORIGINALITY IS ALSO KEY. I HAVE ALWAYS EMBRACED FEAR AND RISK. I BEGAN MY CAREER AS A HAIR CUTTER IN MY INDUSTRY AND HAD A GREAT CONCERN TO STEP INTO THE WORLD OF HAIRDRESSING, RED CARPET AND A LIST OF CELEBRITY CLIENTS INCLUDING ROYALTY. ONE OF MY FIRST DEPARTURES INTO HAIRDRESSING EDUCATION WAS A TRIP TO JAPAN WHICH WAS A REAL EYE OPENER AND HAVING TO TEACH UP TO 4,000 STUDENTS AT ONE TIME..

MY PAT – PASSION – ATTITUDE – TECHNIQUE TOOK ME TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND PEOPLE RECOGNIZED THAT I WAS BEING THE CHANGE IN THE EDUCATIONAL PART OF OUR INDUSTRY. THIS WAS APART FROM RUNNING MY SALONS IN THE UK AND CREATING HAIR FOR PRINT WORK, ALSO THE FIRST COSMOPOLITAN COVER IN THE UK AND IN ADDITION NUMEROUS OTHER MAGAZINES INCLUDING VOGUE, HARPERS QUEEN ETC.

I ALSO WAS INVOLVED IN TV COMMERCIALS AND FILM WORKING WITH TOP FILM DIRECTORS, NUMEROUS ADVERTISING COMMISSIONS AND RUNWAY SHOWS. THIS WAS MIXED WITH TRIPS AROUND THE WORLD FOR TOP HAIRDRESSING COMPANIES SUCH AS MATRIX, REDKEN, JOICO, L’OREAL PROFESSIONAL, CLAIROL ETC.

I ALSO RECEIVED MANY INTERNATIONAL AWARDS. TO ME THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING NOT THE BEGINNING OF THE END. THERE ARE SO MANY CHALLENGES AND MOUNTAIN PEAKS THAT I WANT TO CLIMB AND FEAR HAS TO BECOME YOUR FRIEND THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE HEIGHTS YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD NEVER ACHIEVE.

MY NEXT CHALLENGE IS TO WRITE A BOOK – THE FRENCH FAMILY OF HAIR. My father was a hairdressing ground breaker and with my career combined there is a century of creative hairdressing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In my industry it is very difficult to stand apart, alone and to be recognized. I believe it is because I came from a unique background and schooling which gave me the discipline and work ethic to seek perfection and originality in my work. That’s who I am basically as technique stays the same but fashion is fleeting. One must keep on trend and be very present and understanding of the present mood of fashion. NEVER IMITATE BUT INNOVATE I have been able to achieve in my career an extreme amount of diversity having owned salons, created magazine covers including the first Cosmopolitan cover in the UK. I also created thousands of advertising photographs, hundreds of TV commercials, styling the hair for Royalty/Celebrities and creating educational programs and hair shows worldwide for over 28 countries.

I wish that my father Freddy could have been present when I won North American Hairstylist of the Year for Avant Garde in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 and also been present at some of my finest moments at the 11 Alternative Hair Shows I produced to raise money for Leukemia at the Royal Albert Hall, London. I also appeared on the Today Show, Oprah Show, Good Morning America, Asia Today, CNN, Today Show Sydney. I also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Bio Ionic’s Fernando Romero.

In my life challenges are an every day enigma. Putting together, shows, photo shoots, creating seminars that can take hairdressers to their next level is always a major challenge . I love my industry and want to leave it in a good place. My concern is social media and virtual experiences although makes people aware and able to share more easily also can breed false information, false news and dilute the level of the human art of hair. Nothing can replace a live audience and a great hair show to motivate hairdressers to the next level. I set my goals to climb a mountain and then if there is another one I will climb that also. Excellence and knowledge transfer is my quest.

I also thank Laudomia Pucci for choosing me to create Avant Garde hairstyles influenced by Emilio Pucci’s iconic 60’s photo shoots for the Art Basel event in their Miami store.

I hope that my legacy I will leave is that I have taken hair to the next level and created fine art.

My newest project is writing a book on the French Family of Hair so that the world can reflect on 100 years of creative hair fashion.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take my friend to my home SKYFALL, Palm Springs where there are many things to do such go on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up the mountain side and then go for a hike. Upon return go to Tropicale for Happy Hour. Escape to Idyllwild where there are fabulous log cabins with amazing views
Desert Hills Shopping Mall where they have the best discounted designer clothes.
The Living Zoo in Palm Springs is amazing and like being on a Safari

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have had the honor of working side by side with some of the greatest hairdressers in the world. I have also found the more famous the person is they have a willingness to share their knowledge openly. There are names like Vidal Sassoon, Alexander of Paris, Carita Sisters, Maurice Frank, Roger Thompson, Christopher Brooker and Paul Mitchel.l

Later on I was influenced by other great hairdressers like Robert Lobetta, Danilo, Kerry Warn, Jenny Shircore and many many others have helped and inspired me along the way including some famous film directors such as Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Bob Brooks, Adrien Lyne and Michael Seresin for whom I created the hair for TV Commercials and gave me the ability to have the eye of the camera.

My greatest critique is my wife Carole who does not suffer fools and seeks beyond perfection every time.

The most influential mentor in my life was my father Freddy French (French of London) who created a ground breaking hairstyle in 1938 called “Designed Disorder.” His work was epic and gave us a glance of the future. He created the hair for numerous Vogue covers. At his peak he had 27 salons and his innovative spirit and drive was to push British hairdressing to be recognized globally and to become an iconic hero of our industry.

Website: nicholasfrench.com

Instagram: nicholas_french

Linkedin: nicholasfrench

Facebook: nicholasfrench

Youtube: nicholasfrench

Image Credits:

NAHA WINNING AVANT GARDE COLLECTION 2006 PHOTOGRAPHER – JOSEPH CARTRIGHT
NAHA WINNING COLLECTION AVANT GARDE 2008 PHOTOGRAPHER – BABAK
NAHA WINNING COLLECTION AVANT GARDE 2010 PHOTOGRAPHER – ROBERTO LIGRESTI
NAHA WINNING COLLECTION AVANT GARDE 2012 PHOTOGRAPHER – ROBERTO LIGRESTI
The Pucci photos were taken by my wife Carole French