Welcome to HJ's New Wave where we speak to up-and-coming stylists to find out what drives them, what's inspiring them and what they'd like to see change in the industry.
HJ's New Wave: Morgan Graham
Role: Salon Owner
Salon/Co-working space: MG The Studio
Location: Brentwood, Essex
Age: 30
Pronouns: She/her
IG: @mgthestudio
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education?
At school I was one of those really annoying gifted and talented kids who had a high chance of getting into a really good university. My Mum is a single parent and when it came to asking for stuff she was like "I can't afford it", so when I got tired of asking I went and got a Saturday job in a salon when I was 13. I went to Sixth Form and did my A-Levels in English Literature, Politics, Philosophy and then I messed up my Philosophy exam really badly and my Head of Sixth Form said, "This is really going to effect your UCAS points. What are you gonna do now – be a hairdresser?" because he knew about my Saturday job. It really got under my skin so I thought, 'I will be a hairdresser - watch me' so it was a big sod you to Sixth Form.
What was your first job?
I was a Saturday girl and after that, when I was at college, I did two days a week in The Perfume Shop and I absolutely loved it! Then I got an apprenticeship and fell into full time hair.
Why did you become a hairdresser?
I was so fed up of people saying it was a 'stupid people job', I got so much stress at school and had bad headaches and nosebleeds through the stress and I thought, 'no I’m art-y, I want something fun'. I thought hairdressers were so cool. My mum and nan used to go to a really old-fashioned salon in East London and the Spanish hairdresser called Pepe was so cool and flamboyant. I remember being in there with women under dryers still smoking, perm solution in the air and I was absolutely addicted. It was a better environment.
What do you love about the industry?
The sheer support you get from people you don’t know, but as soon as you start talking about your regular clients, you have an immediate camaraderie even if you don't know someone personally, just by sharing the same job. We get all of the good and bad moments of people, you get to marriage, divorce, birth, death and you get to share with your colleagues and your clients. It's so much deeper than just hair, it's a form of therapy for them and for us.
What would you like to change about the industry?
My biggest thing is to shine a light on smaller salons. I want to see a teeny tiny salon, in the back end of the country win a BHA, or smash Colour Trophy. I'm rooting for the underdogs.
What’s your favourite hair creation?
I was only 18 or 19 and I remember when I first saw this creation I really hated it but looking back, the inspiration for the editorial or the shots that I've done has loosely been based on that image. It was the Balmain Collection from around 2014 that Guido Palau did, it was a really stretched dark root into an untoned bleach end. It looked like a greasy Kurt Cobain and I remember being really young and thinking 'what is that?' - now knowing the effort and the artistry that went into it, I know I really judged it but it's actually inspired me throughout everything I've done. Being in Essex and everything being pretty and extensions and lived-in colour, I love when I get the opportunity to go grunge and outside of the box.
Who inspires you in the industry?
There's a few people: Giuseppe Stelitano, Rob Eaton, Daniel Couch - I was really lucky to be mentored by Daniel, and the stuff he does in the industry I really respect. Ashleigh Hodges is breaking boundaries and it's amazing. Chris Grimsley, she has a salon up North and her drive and her energy is incredible. She doesn’t give up, she’s doing everything, she's a driving force.
Do you have any career goals?
I want to win a BHA. I was really lucky to finalise last year, the shoot was shot on a budget, I did it all in the salon on my own. Moving forward I’d like to go into salons that are struggling and help change their format to see if they can boost revenue. I want to help struggling salons.
