Richard Ashforth is a charismatic stylist who has been successfully cutting hair for 20 years. His individuality and innovation have made him widely recognised as one of the UK’s most accomplished stylists.
‘We have a very specific approach that’s geared towards the individual,’ says Ashforth, creative director of SACO Hair. Located in Charlotte Place in London’s West End, Richard has created something refreshing, a new approach to hairdressing, where their mantra is simply ‘Beauty First.’
Upon entering, you are greeted warmly by the staff which instantly puts you at ease. Despite being some of the best artists in their field (Sam McGee was nominated for British colourist of the year), they are all very humble about their talents and put their success down to hard work and being taught by some of the best in the industry.
The business is divided into two: the salon, providing bespoke haircuts and colours to their customers, while the other half of the company is the school; with academies across the world providing the best training in the industry. The level of diversity, skill and talent in one place is inspiring, and the creativity of the company and the people who work there is unique.
Ashforth’s exceptional eye for detail and creativity are what distinguishes him from the competition. His passion for his craft is obvious as he talks us through subjects ranging from how he started his career and worked his way to the pages of Italian Vogue and working with Iggy Pop.
What made you want to become a hairdresser?
I was always interested in fashion and I originally intended to go on to study it. Circumstances led me into hairdressing but they were closely related so I fell in love with it fairly quickly after that.
What was it like training under Robert Taylor?
It was great; he’s a really inspirational character, lots of energy and enthusiasm, and a love for his craft. He passed on to me an understanding of shape, form, balance and finish on hair but nothing in terms of technical knowledge. So I’ve got the feeling side from him and gained the technical knowledge from my next job working at Vidal Sassoon. I went into that with no real technical knowledge but a love for the craft. He was a very supportive man.
How long has this salon been open?
This particular salon has been here for four years. SACO in London has been around for eight years – we had another salon in Covent Garden prior to this. SACO has been around as a business for 10 in total and around the world we have nine other salons and 10 academies.
How have things changed from the start of your career to now?
When I first started, clients were a lot more open-minded and less specific about what they wanted, they were happier to be told as to what they should get. That was the legacy of the Vidal Sassoon era and the 60s and 70s, it was very much the hairdresser being the more dominant in the client hairdresser relationship.
Now I think everybody’s education has been elevated to the point of having a good understanding and knowledge; the client will have a good idea about what suits them and what works for them. Hair is more individual now. You go back just even a couple of decades and there was a general trend and that’s the way that everybody used to look.
You go back to the 80s and everybody had big curly perms and the 70s where everything was long floaty and soft, so it’s a strong trend now for things to be more original and specific to that person.
What separates SACO from other salons?
I think we have a very specific approach that’s geared towards the individual. Its not about ‘this is the latest trend and we want to put it on your head’, it’s about building and creating something to suit that persons bone structure and for their hair texture.
What separates SACO Academy from other leading Academies?
In the academy there are different drivers so its much more fashion forward in the way we approach everything. Its more conceptual and you can think more freely when you’re developing a collection. But still when it comes down to doing something on a model it has to be suitable for their face. That’s really our remit and philosophy and it run’s through our salons down to our education.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
There have been a few but I’m doing something this weekend that could well prove to be the pinnacle of my career to date. I’m shooting a vogue cover with Peter Lindbergh.
Where do you draw your inspiration?
From everywhere and everything. It’s just about keeping your head and eyes open to the world. It’s not about going and looking for it. It’s just about being a sponge and absorbing your environment.
What influences you?
I guess its people that influence me, people I would class as mentors that have been inspirational figures in my career. What influences me in general is modernist design, very conceptual progressive fashion, people like Hussein Chalayan and Alexander McQueen when he was doing his thing.
I think a lot of music inspires me as well. David Bowie and Iggy Pop who were both catalysts for many things. I guess I’m drawn to rock music and a bit of folk, but it’s hard to draw parallel between music and fashion.
[pullquote align=”right”]”Music drastically influences fashion, I never think it’s the other way round.”[/pullquote] It’s such a big feeder for fashion so you always look into the spirit of music to draw inspiration from. It’s not a visual thing for me. There are obviously visual references through album covers and artwork that have great graphics and relevance to reflecting a particular mood of an era.
That influenced me as a younger person, not so much now because everything’s digital. Now, aesthetically looking at music videos are good way of trying to get a visual sense of a piece of music but for me its about the spirit of it, it’s not so literal.
What’s your favourite product or tool?
My favourite product I would say is mousse, it’s an old-school product but I think it’s the most flexible to use because it does so many different things. It adds a good malleability shine and lustre to the hair. Scissors, comb and a mirror are all the tools I need.
What advice do you have for people who want to start a career in hairdressing?
Don’t think it’s an easy option. If you want to succeed, there are a lot of long hours and some fairly menial tasks at the front end of it.