Feature - Interview with Paul Phillips

Stacey told us, “Paul cheekily contacted me and offered his services, and after meeting him I invited him along to assist on a shoot. He really impressed me and has a talent and passion for hair and he’s now become my first point of contact when I need an assistant for a shoot or show, if I can get him when he’s not busy in the salon!”  

Of his video Andrew Gilbert said, “We shoot some videos that will never see the light of day because for one reason or another, they fail to meet our high standards or fall short of the quality of hair our members expect. Watching Paul work behind the scenes, I recognised an exacting, versatile and talented stylist that deserved a chance to go in front of the camera. Paul did an excellent job and I’m proud of the final result. He’s definitely one to watch out for in the future and I’m looking forward to working with him again.”  

Following the shoot, Paul sat down for a chat and told us more about his hairdressing career.  

Tell us about your hairdressing career?

I started at school  - cutting my mates’ hair. At that point I didn’t really know what I was doing but I was into it. I then met Martin Holmes and trained with him, culminating in working with him to do the band Muse’s hair for TV appearances and videos. That was pretty cool - Martin cut the hair and I would add colour or chemically straighten their hair, etc. During that time I was also a finalist in the Wella Trend Vision Awards.  

I then went travelling around the world for a year, cutting hair as I went. When I was in Queenstown, New Zealand I met a model agent who wanted someone with a European sense of style for the models so did a lot of commercial, editorial and catwalk work around New Zealand for TV and fashion labels. 

Since then I’ve been managing a salon back in the UK, training the staff and of course working with Stacey whenever I have chance.  

What are you interested in the most?

I do everything within a salon environment but I prefer the dressing side the most. I was a Redken New York City finalist at the Royal Opera House in London recently, and that was the whole look - cut, colour and dressing. I like doing it all - complete control. I like to put together a good team but if I feel I’m capable of doing it myself I will. 

What do you think of MyHairDressers.com?

It’s a great tool. My passion really lies in teaching, and I train all my staff to salon standard, so MyHairDressers.com is such a great tool for me to train my staff during quiet periods. Or if we have a show coming up we’ll watch the session catwalk videos for inspiration. Sometimes you’ll look at something and wonder how it’s done and MyHairDressers.com tells you. It’s brilliant.  

How have you enjoyed it today?

It’s been a fun day. There’s a fantastic team of cool people here who are all totally committed and professional, but still able to produce a creative and relaxed atmosphere. It allows you to focus and enjoy your hairdressing away from the pressures of a busy salon. The chance to work with Stacey and learn from him is a truly awesome opportunity – I’ve watched his videos and learned so much, but to have his mentorship over the last year or so has truly been a privilege.  

How did you feel doing the video?

I absolutely loved it. I’ve watched people like Stacey and that’s where I want to be. My dream is to be recognised within the craft as a great hairdresser and to be a part of something so groundbreaking and valuable as MyHairDressers.com is really a dream come true.