BEAUTY issue
aRUDE comment
ONLINE content
ARBITERS
Questions for Stephen Knoll
A Girl's Best Friend
BON APPÉTIT
Questions for Nobu Matsuhisa
Questions for Tony Esnault
the new Le Cirque interview Iké Udé
BUSINESS OFF THE WALL
Questions for Nicholas Callaway
Questions for John Hunt
FASHION
Chinatown photography Norman Watson
Passions of Rihanna photography Iké Udé
KULTURE & ART CINEMA
Dominique Swain Lolita Has A Tattoo interview Brandon Judell
Jared Leto My Bashed-up Life On Screen interview Brandon Judell
Zoe Saldana No Regrets interview Brandon Judell
KULTURE & ART PHOTOGRAPHY
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders portraits backstage at Olympus Fashion Week interview Valerie Steele
Francesco Clemente Impermanence of The Self interview Johan Falkman
Roger Szmulewicz Looking at Pictures interview Parker Stephenson
aRUDE comment
beauty_issue_sknoll.php
ONLINE content
ARBITERS
Questions for Stephen Knoll
A Girl's Best Friend
BON APPÉTIT
Questions for Nobu Matsuhisa
Questions for Tony Esnault
the new Le Cirque interview Iké Udé
BUSINESS OFF THE WALL
Questions for Nicholas Callaway
Questions for John Hunt
FASHION
Chinatown photography Norman Watson
Passions of Rihanna photography Iké Udé
KULTURE & ART CINEMA
Dominique Swain Lolita Has A Tattoo interview Brandon Judell
Jared Leto My Bashed-up Life On Screen interview Brandon Judell
Zoe Saldana No Regrets interview Brandon Judell
KULTURE & ART PHOTOGRAPHY
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders portraits backstage at Olympus Fashion Week interview Valerie Steele
Francesco Clemente Impermanence of The Self interview Johan Falkman
Roger Szmulewicz Looking at Pictures interview Parker Stephenson
questions for STEPHEN KNOLL
Stephen Knoll photography Timothy White
click image to enlarge
When did your interest in hair styling began?
It started as a child, when I was quite young. I was maybe five or six years old and I would brush and put rollers in my mother’s hair. By the age of twelve I was coloring and styling her hair and my sister's. I guess it was just an inborn talent. My mother was great, she saw there was talent and kept letting me experiment with her hair.
What is your basic approach or philosophy toward hair styling?
Creating an individual look for each client—a look that will compliment their facial features and work with their hair type, not against it, and is easily duplicated by them at home.
Do you see a relationship between traditional architecture and the architectural nature of hair cutting and styling?
Architecture and hairstyling are very similar. You have to decide what will work best for each person based on their height, facial features, hair color, lifestyle, etc. Architecture interests me very much, I've always been fascinated by it. It's the sense of proportion that intrigues me and that sense carries over into everything in my life, from the length of my trousers, to the objects on my desk; everything has its correct place according to proportion and size. Once things are set in my apartment they don't change, because that is where they should be. People thought I was crazy at the time, but I was the first salon to really make getting your hair done an overall experience.
Where do you get your inspiration?
From traveling all over the world—visually, everything is just so stimulating. It also comes from living in New York. Even after so many years of living here, I am still so completely dedicated to the city. It never ceases to amaze me, how I can be inspired on a daily basis by the people, the building, the attitudes, the fashion…
Artists are born with a need to create. Have you any other avenues of expression? Painting? Drawing? Writing?
Interior design is a passion. I designed my apartment and the salon. I actually drew the floor plan for my apartment. I love the details of it—the preciseness of it. I'm very sensitive to the atmosphere and the environment I’m in. I'm such a visual person, if a space doesn't work or is not visually pleasing to me, I'm just not as comfortable.
At the risk of sounding egotistical, what contribution or influence do you feel your work has had on the industry?
People thought I was crazy at the time, but I was the first salon to really make getting your hair done an overall experience. I did that by creating a comfortable, yet luxurious environment, by truly making it an intimate atmosphere.
What would you like to see different in the fashion and beauty industry?
Less attitude would be good in the fashion industry. In the beauty industry, I would like to see less conforming to the trends. Just do what works for you and your hair.
Danilo, because he is extremely creative and he tends to push the envelope.
Which person past or present would you like to or wish you could have worked with?
Helmut Newton, because I've always admired his photography. The way I see women is not quite as severe and aggressive as he does, but there is definitely that inner quality of his type of woman that I very much admire. That's why I enjoy working with women like Cindy Crawford and have worked with her for years, because she has that raw sex appeal that is soft at the same time.
There is an extraordinary amount of importance that people put into the appearance of their hair. Do you ever feel pressure in the responsibility of that?
Sure, there have been times, but overall I'm pretty confident because doing hair is what I really know. And I understand that there is really something to be said for having a bad hair day. It expresses how you feel about yourself. Waking up and having a good hair day can change your attitude and how you walk out the door.
If not hair styling, what other profession do you think you would have considered?
I would have probably done something in the architectural or interior design world. I have a natural sense of color and think I would have enjoyed being more immersed in that than I am now.
If you were to sum up your life in a song title. What would it be?
Time Is On My Side by The Rolling Stones
Stephen Knoll photography Timothy White
click image to enlarge
When did your interest in hair styling began?
It started as a child, when I was quite young. I was maybe five or six years old and I would brush and put rollers in my mother’s hair. By the age of twelve I was coloring and styling her hair and my sister's. I guess it was just an inborn talent. My mother was great, she saw there was talent and kept letting me experiment with her hair.
What is your basic approach or philosophy toward hair styling?
Creating an individual look for each client—a look that will compliment their facial features and work with their hair type, not against it, and is easily duplicated by them at home.
Do you see a relationship between traditional architecture and the architectural nature of hair cutting and styling?
Architecture and hairstyling are very similar. You have to decide what will work best for each person based on their height, facial features, hair color, lifestyle, etc. Architecture interests me very much, I've always been fascinated by it. It's the sense of proportion that intrigues me and that sense carries over into everything in my life, from the length of my trousers, to the objects on my desk; everything has its correct place according to proportion and size. Once things are set in my apartment they don't change, because that is where they should be. People thought I was crazy at the time, but I was the first salon to really make getting your hair done an overall experience.
Where do you get your inspiration?
From traveling all over the world—visually, everything is just so stimulating. It also comes from living in New York. Even after so many years of living here, I am still so completely dedicated to the city. It never ceases to amaze me, how I can be inspired on a daily basis by the people, the building, the attitudes, the fashion…
Artists are born with a need to create. Have you any other avenues of expression? Painting? Drawing? Writing?
Interior design is a passion. I designed my apartment and the salon. I actually drew the floor plan for my apartment. I love the details of it—the preciseness of it. I'm very sensitive to the atmosphere and the environment I’m in. I'm such a visual person, if a space doesn't work or is not visually pleasing to me, I'm just not as comfortable.
At the risk of sounding egotistical, what contribution or influence do you feel your work has had on the industry?
People thought I was crazy at the time, but I was the first salon to really make getting your hair done an overall experience. I did that by creating a comfortable, yet luxurious environment, by truly making it an intimate atmosphere.
What would you like to see different in the fashion and beauty industry?
Less attitude would be good in the fashion industry. In the beauty industry, I would like to see less conforming to the trends. Just do what works for you and your hair.
People thought I was crazy at the time, but I was the first salon to really
make getting your hair done an overall experience.
Which hair stylist past or present do you admire most and why?
Danilo, because he is extremely creative and he tends to push the envelope.
Which person past or present would you like to or wish you could have worked with?
Helmut Newton, because I've always admired his photography. The way I see women is not quite as severe and aggressive as he does, but there is definitely that inner quality of his type of woman that I very much admire. That's why I enjoy working with women like Cindy Crawford and have worked with her for years, because she has that raw sex appeal that is soft at the same time.
There is an extraordinary amount of importance that people put into the appearance of their hair. Do you ever feel pressure in the responsibility of that?
Sure, there have been times, but overall I'm pretty confident because doing hair is what I really know. And I understand that there is really something to be said for having a bad hair day. It expresses how you feel about yourself. Waking up and having a good hair day can change your attitude and how you walk out the door.
If not hair styling, what other profession do you think you would have considered?
I would have probably done something in the architectural or interior design world. I have a natural sense of color and think I would have enjoyed being more immersed in that than I am now.
If you were to sum up your life in a song title. What would it be?
Time Is On My Side by The Rolling Stones
