HJ joined hairdressing legend Trevor Sorbie, Creative Director Giuseppe Stelitano and co-CEO Bree Davie, at The Library in London, to celebrate 45 years of the Trevor Sorbie brand and the launch of the their 1979 campaign.
The History of Trevor Sorbie
Creator of The Wedge, The Scrunch and The Wolfman (more on that later!) Trevor is responsible for iconic haircuts that changed the face (wait, head?!) of hairdressing forever. Check out our gallery for all of Trevor's most legendary hairstyles.
In 1979, the year Trevor opened his salon in Covent Garden, Margaret Thatcher was in power, Blondie was on the radio and Trevor was obsessed by all things punk.
Interviewed by beauty journalist Kathleen Baird Murray, the hairdressing legend told the intimate gathering that before 1979 he was working for John Frieda and had the decision to go into partnership with him, but in the end decided to go it alone. He said: “I’ve never put one penny of my own money in my company.”
He described Covent Garden as completley different to how we know it today. "It was pretty deserted in 1979...but I had punk pictures in the salon window, I was more edgy and artistic than the shops around me."
His early clients ran the gamut from Adam Ant, to Bryan Ferry, from Grace Jones to a host of New Romantic stars. To say that Trevor Sorbie salon was a beacon for the punk and pop scene in the late seventies was indisputable. In fact, one of Trevor's first clients was Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols!
“I always wanted do the opposite, and that's what attracted me to punk – and the punks to me,” Trevor explained.
Speaking on his hairdressing training, Trevor revealed that his father was actually a barber and that he trained with him for five years, before going to a London college to learn women's hair specifically.
Who Attended the 1979 Launch?
The audience was full of both current and former Trevor Sorbie staff, as well as beauty journalists.
In fact, former apprentice and later Creative Director at Trevor Sorbie, Eugene Souleiman revealed: "One thing I take from Trevor is that without being brave and stepping out of your comfort zone, you probably won't be doing anything different or new. I think that was one of the reasons I kept my job... honestly I missed flights, I did a lot of things I shouldn't have done... I wasn't employable to be totally honest!"
Co-CEO Bree told the audience: “Being honest and authentic is what’s core at Trevor Sorbie. We communicate and work together.”
Before introducing their new campaign, current Creative Director Giuseppe shared his thoughts on the next generation of hairdressers, a worry for a lot of the industry right now.
“Yes we're called hiardressers, but we don't just cut hair," he said. "I work in photography and media – I feel purely creative. I hope the new generation sees this profession as a door that opens you to being as creative as you want to be."
What is the 1979 Campaign?
Kathleen asked Trevor how the new campaign connected with the images he had in his first salon. The starting point was drawing inspiration from key milestones in Trevor Sorbie’s history, the 1979 collection is a series of timeless looks designed to inspire both our salon guests and the wider industry. The lead look was inspired by Trevor's infamous the Wolf Man, but given a 2024 twist.
Trevor was emotional when he found out that that was what the team had done, before Trevor quipped: "But Giuseppe is teaching me now. The pupil becomes the master!"
Before we were treated to a viewing of a 'Making Of' video about the campaign (watch a snippet below!), Bree talked about the future of the industry: “I think that it will take another five years for things to come back around. In the pandemic, we were worried people would do their hair at home, but that's already turned back around for us.
"In the past year, the next generation that are coming through are really refreshing, they recognise the skill invovled in our industry and the craft of it." She talked of holistic training for the Trevor Sorbie team - the importance of teaching everyone how to build your own brand within a salon, offering mental health training and the digital marketing skills needed for a salon to thrive in 2024.
Trevor ended with his advice for aspiring hairdressers. "Whether you're in a small village, a big town, even a city, go to the best hairdresser in your vicinity and you will find that they have a training programme. That's why they are the best, because they care."
Don't miss looking through Trevor's archive in our HJi Gallery here.
