Interview: Celeb Hair Stylist Trevor Sorbie’s Dubai Salon Tips

There’s no excuse for a bad hair day now

The man behind some of the most iconic haircuts of the last half-century has finally arrived in the Middle East, with Trevor Sorbie M.B.E. launching his Dubai salon, a first for the region. The new ladies-only salon has been equipped with 20 styling sections, five backwashes and a separate lounge for refreshments as well as a private VIP suite. Services will include a full roster of hairdressing services and specialist colouring, and beauty treatments such as lash extensions and nail artwork.

Bazaar caught up with the celebrity hair stylist to discover his secrets to an amazing mane, and why he chose the new The Dubai Mall Fashion Avenue extension as the home for his first Middle Eastern location.

Harper’s Bazaar Arabia: What’s your favourite thing about launching in Dubai?
Trevor Sorbie: The salon in the Fashion Avenue of the Mall is beautifully designed with a range of services perfect for the clientele of Dubai. We’re in a cosmopolitan city full of people wanting to look their best and with that in mind, we have selected some of our most talented artists, to show Dubai why my salons are the destination for great hair, not just in the UK but all over the world.

HBA: What advice would you give women living in Dubai?
TS: One of the biggest hair enemies in this part of the world is the strong sunlight. Being exposed to UV rays can cause colour fading and the best protection is a head covering or hat. As a temporary fix, you can also consider using haircare products that offer protection, such as Trevor Sorbie Salon Colour Protect Conditioner (Dhs61 for 250ml) and Multi-Protect spray (Dhs54 for 200ml), which contain has UV filters and green tea to help prevent colour fade.

HBA: Which specific services should we try at the Dubai salon?
TS: Every Trevor Sorbie salon offers the same services, however particularly relevant to this region is our KeraStraight treatment. It’s a treatment that will tame frizz for up to four months. It reduces drying time, beats humidity and protects the hair against sulphurs and toxins in the water – ideal for Dubai!

HBA: What products would you recommend for your Dubai clients?
TS: I recommend the Smooth & Hydrate range to help combat Dubai’s weather conditions. It offers humidity protection and contains an amino acids blend that moisturises, strengthens, protects colour and repairs surface damage.

HBA: What is your workday life like?
TS: It’s changed now that I’m Creative Ambassador for the company, as each day is a bit different depending on what’s in my diary – I could be out visiting my salons, mentoring the art team on shoots or shows, or working with mynewhair, the charity I founded.
Mynewhair provides a wig styling service for people suffering from cancer and medical hair loss. Each week, we train 15 new hairdressers in the UK and we recently had our first group training seminar in Dubai. It’s something that my Dubai partners, The Grooming Company, is very supportive of – it wouldn’t have happened without them.

HBA: What is your favourite thing about your job?
TS: I’ve always been really passionate about developing my team, both in the salon and as part of the art team, I make sure to visit all my salons as often as I can to get to know the team. It’s also important to me that I’m not just a ‘name above the door’ – I want everyone working in my salons to know me and understand my philosophy.

HBA: Any advice for a younger generation just getting into the professional arena?
TS: One thing I’ve noticed is that young people want everything tomorrow – fame, money, careers – there’s definitely a different culture to when I was training as a hairdresser. I’ve always believed you have to put in what you want to get back. Within my salons I look for people who are committed and disciplined. The training that my new team members have to undergo to work in my salons is demanding, however there isn’t anyone working for Trevor Sorbie who would regret going through that process. The achievement of completing a training program like that is huge, and puts you on the right path to doing whatever you want with your career.

Together with Trevor Sorbie. To make a booking at Trevor Sorbie Dubai, call +971 (0)4 388 8440