Cutting Edge Creativity in D&G –Nelson Brown

My creative practice covers all aspects of Hairdressing – design, styling, colour, technology, development. This allows me the freedom to create. I live and breathe hair!

My work varies from managing my salons and teams in Dumfries and Lockerbie to developing and delivering cutting edge styles for television productions and fashion runways around the world. I love being able to bring the experience and knowledge from these international experiences back to my teams and clients here in Dumfries and Galloway, and especially to the students attending the Nelson Brown Hair Academy. I am passionate about making people feel incredible and being in a position to educate and train the new stars of the future, and to share my creative knowledge is a huge part of what motivates me.

I’m based in Dumfries and Lockerbie in South West Scotland.

Q Tell us about your work for fashion, television, and entertainment.

My involvement in the entertainment and fashion industry has been varied and over quite a considerable period of time.

GMTV with Ben Shepard and Kate Garrawy was fun. My job was to recreate the ‘POB’ haircut that Victoria Beckham famously had but you have much less time while onscreen, so the pressure was on. I arrived at London Weekend studios to meet the model who was about to be transformed with Victoria’s POB. She had long hair and her transformation was a huge challenge in front of four million people! But it all went well. Wherever I am, my job essentially stays the same - consulting, empowering, and making the client feel relaxed is paramount, regardless of the circumstances.

I worked with Lorraine Kelly on her morning show. My task on Lorraine was to cut Vicky Entwistle’s hair, she plays Janice Battersby on Coronation Street. I had 15 mins to make her look fabulous. I’ve assisted on pop videos with my good friend Raf Salley. We both worked on Robbie Williams “Rudebox” video.

A stand out event in my career was assisting Raf at Fashion Rocks in Monaco, an international event which was sponsored by the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles. It’s a fusion of music and fashion where bands play, and models strut their stuff on the catwalk showcasing leading designer collections from all over the world. It was an incredible experience - I was prepping hair seven floors beneath the fabulous streets of Monaco - I’ll never forget it!

Fashion week is my theatre. I love, travelling to London, Milan, Paris & New York. My presence at these fashions weeks has given my career such a boost. I am now proud to be part of #teammcknight. Sam McKnight is an incredible hairdresser, an inspiration in the industry and to me personally, a charming man and a genuinely fabulous example of our creative industry. I travel to all the fashion cities assisting Sam and the team deliver for the biggest fashion brands in the world. It’s a continuous source of inspiration, a huge moral boost for me, and it hones my technical skills and helps me develop ideas and techniques to stay ahead. It’s a part of my life I couldn’t be without.

The list of famous heads I have had the privilege of working on while assisting Sam feels endless! You should Google him, then you will see his story, and his legacy in hair, its magical. And its why I am so thrilled to be part of his team. But if I had to pick one highlight from my career to date, it would be working at the tribute fashion show Fendi created for the late great Karl Lagerfeld. The event was breath-taking from start to finish and a fitting tribute to arguably one of the world’s greatest designers Located in the Colosseum in Rome, I assisted Sam McKnight. Sam had created over sixty hand dyed bob wigs which were all cut to suit each model. The event was held in the evening at dusk. It was a magical event I will never forget, and I have to thank Sam for the opportunity to be present at such a rare and unique fashion event.

Q Tell us about some collaborations you are working on.

A current collaboration I feel so good about and am really proud of is happening right here in Dumfries and Galloway. Rock ReDress is a fashion movement created by the Circle Vintage team in Dumfries. Their important ethos is sustainability and slow fashion They have given me full artistic control over the hair and I have developed some styles which are super creative and wonderful to do. It’s also a very positive and strong message to us all that we must stop abusing our world and pay attention to what’s useable again for us, for our kids future, for all of us.

Find out more about Nelson Brown and his work here: https://www.nelsonbrown.co.uk/

Find out about Circle Vintage and Redress here: https://www.facebook.com/ circleshopgallery/?locale=en_GB