- Holli Smith
- Holli Smith
- Holli Smith
PEOPLE: New York hairstylist Holli Smith talks Prince, Tumblr and favourite hair trends
Interview: Anthony Mascolo
Images: Dario Catellani, Sharif Hamza, Daniel Jackson, Collier Schorr, Harley Weir
Portrait Image: Claire Brand
Special Thanks to Holli Smith
Collaborating with today’s most influential creatives, including Collier Schorr, Dario Catellani and Cass Bird, Holli Smith is responsible for creating some of the most iconic and covetable looks around. Originally from San Francisco, Smith has steadily climbed the ranks of hair since swapping West for East Coast sixteen years ago. Following ten years cutting in a salon, she started assisting Guido Paulo (“I still can’t believe that happened for me”) and has now become one of the most in demand hairstylists in the world. Recent projects include Kenzo’s SS16 campaign shot by Ryan McGinley, and coiffing model of the moment Lineisy Montero for Harley Weir’s i-D story ‘Rising Up’.
We caught up with Smith to talk inspirations, fantasy clients and some words of advice to the next wave of future hairstylists.
What inspires you? YouTube and Tumblr. Lesbian culture, rural and inner city. Present and historically. Reading autobiographies.
If you could do anyone’s hair, dead or alive, who would it be? OH not easy! Let’s see… Prince? I would take it back to the roller set on the cover of his self-titled album from 1979. Also Siouxsie Sioux from Siouxie and the Banshees. I would just want to do legendary Siouxsie hair on her. Haha Jocelyn Wildenstein too. I wanna give her a lion’s mane. Jerry Garcia from Grateful Dead…
Current favourite hair trend? CUTS. NO COLOR.
What does your own hair mean to you? I like the visibility of being gay. I think my haircut is unavoidably queer. That is important to me.
What advice would you give to an aspiring hairdresser? Work hard and hustle however you can to keep learning your thing. That is what it takes to live up to the expectations of people thinking you have enough followers so you must be good.
- ANTHROPOLOGY OF HAIR
- ANTHROPOLOGY OF HAIR
- ANTHROPOLOGY OF HAIR
- ANTHROPOLOGY OF HAIR
- ANTHROPOLOGY OF HAIR
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