Autumn 2019 / Interview
CH: How did you get the X-Factor job as official backstage stylist? JS: I created some mood boards and ideas for contestants and got chosen. It was brilliant fun, I got quite a lot of camera time so it was great for my profile but ultimately it was taking too much time out of the salon for my team – so after five years, I called it a day. CH: What’s the best thing about doing celebrity hair?
Concept Hair: Hi Jamie! Would you mind introducing yourself to our readers? Jamie Stevens: I own two salons. I’ve worked with celebrities from Kylie Minogue, Elle Macpherson, Eva Herzigova and Myleene Klass to Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Slater, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant and Olly Murs. I’ve appeared on TV shows such as Lorraine, This Morning, Gok’s Fashion Fix and How to Look Good Naked, where I share tips and tricks of the hair industry alongside cutting and styling hair. I was the youngest nominee for British Hairdresser of the Year and won the British Hairdressing Awards’ Men’s Hairdresser of the Year Award three times, which saw me enter into the BHA’s Hall of Fame. I have my own product range, MR. Jamie Stevens, which is designed for men with thinning hair.
JS: Celebrities are no different except that your work is then seen by a really wide audience! It’s great to have your work acknowledged. The downside is that you have to be available all the time, which is tricky when you’re a salon stylist. CH: How is men’s hair different to women’s? JS: I have a real passion for helping men with thinning hair as it affects such a huge percentage of the population yet there’s such a stigma around it. It’s incredible how a good cut and some disguise products can change a man’s hair and really boost his confidence and self-esteem.
CH: What’s your favourite thing about the industry? JS: Hairdressers really share their knowledge and there are so many opportunities. We’re an amazing community and for people who are prepared to put the work in, the sky’s the limit. CH: What was your first step to becoming a celebrity hairdresser? JS: After I won Men’s Hairdresser of the Year, Gok Wan approached me to cut his hair and work on How To Look Good Naked – I worked on several shows with him after that. CH: What made you want to become a hairdresser? JS: I was born into a family of two great loves: football and hairdressing. My father was a professional footballer, while my mother, grandmother and great-grandfather were all hairdressers. Growing up, I would help out my mum in the salon, alongside playing football. When I was 16, I injured my ankle so I didn’t waste any time and went straight to college and achieved Levels 1, 2 and 3 in hairdressing.
CH: If you could only give one piece of advice to those just starting out, what would it be? JS: Work on your days off, research, and assist as many people as possible. Practice equals perfection.
are no different except that your work “Celebrities is then seen by a really wide audience ” @jamiestevenshair
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