040 Guido Palau
There are very few people anywhere, let alone hairdressers, that are known by ‘one name.’ But if you are in this industry, you will almost definitely have heard of the name ‘GUIDO’... And if by some remote chance you haven’t heard the name, you would have definitely seen his work.
I don’t use the word ‘genius’ very readily, but when it comes to hair, ‘Guido is an absolute genius!’
I first met Guido in the early eighties, we both worked at Vidal Sassoon in London, and I remember him as being someone who stood out. There was always something special about him, and [aside from a great personality], it just wasn’t obvious exactly what that ‘something special’ was.
He certainly wasn’t arrogant, but he had an opinion, and he wasn’t intimidated by anyone. He always seemed ‘confident in who he was’ and he was forging his own path…
He has since become an absolute visionary and a true artist in the fullest sense of the word and has worked with everybody. I mean ‘everybody’ of any notoriety in the fashion business.
His work often pushes at the boundaries of beauty, it’s always flawless in its execution, and understandably his influence and the direction he takes have reached far beyond hairdressing.
But he has also impacted all of today’s great hairdressers the world over.
One reason I like podcasts is that you get the chance to get into people’s minds and understand how they think, and to me, that’s often where the actual magic is…
I love to understand the story behind what makes a person do what they do...How they think about it.
And the more you do that, the more inspiring, but unfortunately sometimes the less obtainable it is...because you can’t always teach it.
In today’s podcast, we will discuss:
- Guido’s journey to the top
- The importance of collaborations
- What drives his creativity
- Social media and the impact it’s had on fashion magazines
- What influence the coronavirus might have on fashion
In This Episode:
[02:56] Guido, it’s great to have you on the show!
[03:51] Guido speaks about working at Vidal Sassoon back in the eighties and being fired.
[06:42] The structure he learned and the people he worked with at Vidal Sassoon have stayed with him all along his journey.
[10:00] What attracted you to hairdressing?
[11:32] Guido speaks about what he did after leaving Sassoon and how he got into editorial work.
[15:21] Guido shares how he learned on the job; he never apprenticed with anyone.
[17:01] He discusses the subcultures that were happening during the eighties and how he would study them and their styles.
[20:47] Were you disciplined enough to go home and practice what you saw?
[22:23] Guido shares some hairstyles he has done for fashion shows.
[25:45] Guido speaks about when it all changed for him working with David Sims.
[27:52] David Sims guided Guido to look at what was around him and the styles he could see on the streets.
[31:12] Was there a time when you were working with David that you felt like you had credibility?
[36:04] Guido discusses being true to himself and adapting as he was working to the top as a hairdresser.
[37:38] What is your definition of beauty? Is it style?
[40:32] Guido says he likes to dress hair, so it is subversive and makes you wonder.
[41:52] Guido shares that he doesn’t have a favorite period in time; the inspiration is everywhere.
[43:24] What is exciting about being a hairdresser is that with hands and a vision, you can create so many amazing things on somebody.
[45:21] Part 2 with Guido will be out on May 26th, don’t miss it.
Links and Resources
Find Guido
@guidopalau