Mike Marsland
When Timothée Chalamet spoke to Vogue about becoming the new face of Chanel Bleu in May, he credited his effortlessly dishevelled, heartthrob hair to a mysterious “Jamie.” “You know Jamie actually has all the secrets… about my hair,” he said, without expanding on exactly who Jamie was. “People know…”
The hairstylist in question is the discreet Jamie Taylor, a celebrity men’s groomer, and the woman Chalamet, Austin Butler, Sebastian Stan, Channing Tatum, and Jared Leto all turn to for great hair. You don’t need to be an expert to note that Taylor has a knack for creating hair that falls just so. From the mussed-up curls to the artful but undone quiffs to the subtle, healthy shine, she knows exactly how to make men look like they’ve woken up with excellent hair, rather than spent any time on it.
“I grew up being very intrigued by classic movie stars, like James Dean, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando and Johnny Cash,” she tells me, “I’m a beach girl, so I love hair that has tonnes of texture and dimension – salty hair and sun-kissed skin is everything. I love raw, untamed, play-by-no-rules hair, and nothing too perfect. Flaws and little imperfections are perfection to me.”
As most of us know, great hair starts with a great cut, and for Taylor, this is all about creating a style that’s manageable for her clients day to day. “They have to be able to achieve the look themselves, and it needs to be suitable for their lifestyle,” she says. “I look at the shape of the face and hairline, and always start with a conversation to hear their likes and dislikes.” She cuts to enhance her client’s natural hair texture and flatter their face shape, with the aim of making them look like themselves, just a little bit better.
When it comes to styling, again her rule of thumb is to work with the natural texture of the hair, then add even more. “I never take movement away from the hair – for me, the wilder the better,” she says, which explains why Chalamet’s lustrous curls have become a signature style that men, the world over, attempt to imitate. (It’s not as easy as it looks.)
Making use of a few key products – salt spray, paste and a light grooming creme – she acknowledges that the now vast universe of men’s hairstyling products can be overwhelming. “I suggest people keep it simple and use clean products,” she says. Timothée was right: Jamie really does have all the secrets.
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
