James Brown Interview
Do you notice people’s hair when you’re walking down the street?
Oh yeah, all the time, and some of it’s shocking. A couple of times I’ve just gone up to people and said ‘can I just do something to your hair’. I also like to visit Top Shop – if you want to know what’s going on go there. The girls shopping there may not have much money but they make a look work. People with no money, but who have style can look much better than rich people who’ve been styled by someone else.
What are the biggest hair crimes you see?
Those horrible ‘Spice Girl’ streaks. And I hate that two-tone thing that people do, you know really, really bleached on top, and very black underneath, a sort of Coronation Street barmaid look. I also hate hair extensions, especially if they’re not even real hair but made of nylon –they’re a crime against fashion.
What are the new trends going to be?
I think it’s going to be all about colour. Either really bleached or really red like Karen Elson or really dark, it’s not going to be too much about cuts any more. And, as always, whatever some celebrities do – that always happens when Kate (Moss) changes her hair, or Victoria Beckham.
Who in the public eye looks good?
Kate always looks amazing, always bang on trend, and I love Victoria’s new haircut. Also Cameron Diaz looks amazing, so does Sienna and Cate Blanchett.
And Bad?
I think Jordan, Katie Price, looks terrible because her hair is so black now and so fake looking. I’d love to see her looking natural, I think she’s one of the most beautiful women in the world but you’d never know it under all that slap.
What about men’s hair?
I like James Morrison’s hair. The look on the street at the moment seems very French to me. You see a lot of guys with really tight jeans and winklepickers and they all look very Parisian, their hair’s shaved at the sides and like a floppy, toupee on the top. Everyone’s trying to look as though they’re in a band, with their skin-tight jeans, winklepickers and world war two hair.
Are you happy with your hair?
I don’t care about my hair as long as it looks frizzy and funny, like Gene Wilder. And if it’s clean I hate it. As soon as it’s washed I put so much stuff in it. I like it looking like I haven’t done anything to it.
Who cuts it?
I cut it myself, sometimes when I’m watching telly, I don’t even look in the mirror. The last time I cut it was when I was in Ireland and I was steering my truck down the lane while I was doing it with a nail scissors. It’s often that way with hair and makeup people though. If a makeup artist turns up to a job and they’ve got lots of makeup on I know they’re not going to be good even before they start. They walk through the door and I think, ‘oh, this one’s going to be a nightmare’, you can just tell. And a lot of the hairdressers have what the public would think was not very good hair. My goddaughter says to me ‘I can’t believe you’re a hairdresser with hair like that’. And she’s only six.
