TAKE 10 WITH NICK IRWIN

THE SESSION STYLIST AND HUNGER MAGAZINE HAIR EDITOR ON OBSESSION, LOYALTY AND WHY A WEDNESDAY CLUB NIGHT CHANGED HIS LIFE FOREVER…

1. Is there something in particular that represents your work aesthetically and has that changed throughout your career? 

As a teenager in the mid ’80s I was working at a salon in the north of England, where I’m from. Pretty soon I was hanging out with the older team and would go with them to a nightclub on a Wednesday night, which was an alternative student affair. Gay, Goth, Soul Boys, Punks, New Romantics, Rockers – they were all there. The music, fashion and hair were incredible, the aesthetic was super-eclectic. To this day, I carry slightly broken versions of that wide spectrum through my work as a hairstylist. I’m all or nothing: either hardly any product or bucket-loads of something very considered.

2. How do you choose your team and the people you work with?

What qualities do you need around you? I’m obsessive and probably a pain in the arse for my assistants! They need to have patience, hunger and be equally obsessed. This is not a box-ticking job, we are in a very peculiar time and the expectation is higher than ever. If you are honest, dedicated and loyal, then I can teach you the rest. If you lack any of these traits, then there is no place on the team. Saying that, the team are way more important than I am. I rely heavily on their vision and eye.

Image by Emmanuel Robert

3. Leading a show is quite a responsibility. What’s required to make it a success?

There are so many things to consider, so being super dialled-in is very important to me. The first thing is to understand the designer’s aesthetic and vision for that season or collection. Get inside their head, find out exactly where all the nuances are coming from, research the research. I go down a rabbit hole to explore every single possibility and then present the ideas in the hair tests/fittings. You must convey this in a way that feels modern and plays to your own aesthetic. I think if you really listen and build a trust it should fall into place.

IMAGE BY ALEX BARRON-HOUGH

4. What kind of vibe do you like to create backstage?

It all depends on the designer and the vibe of the show. If I’m working with NOKI, it’s like an underground rave – thumping music and controlled chaos. If it’s Sabirah, it’s about elegance, calm and modesty. Basically, you dial into the aesthetic of the show and it reflects on the runway.

5. You’re collaborating with people all the time. How do you stay true to your boundaries and personal style?

Collaborations are now the norm. If you are clever, you will find a way to project your personal style – after all, if they want to collaborate they must like what you are doing? Stay true to who you are. I’ve been doing this for a very long time so hopefully people respect my boundaries. (Mind you, I still look back at things I’ve done and think that could have been better!)

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6. What keeps your work fresh?

Having young people around me! I love to dial into what they are doing and thinking – have them critique my work. When people join the team they’re always shocked that we are so intrigued by their opinion. I am hair editor at Hunger magazine and the team are literally across everything that is happening, so I feed off that heavily. My biggest paranoia is doing hair that looks dated…

7. Your favourite hair era?

Hasn’t happened yet. We use influences from the past but every year we do new things and I think, wow this is really special.

8. What elements of the hair industry need to evolve, in your opinion?

 People will hate me saying this but there is a reason why young school leavers don’t want to become hairdressers and it’s because we haven’t progressed a great deal in the past 30 years. We have to change the model and adapt to the Gen Z way of thinking. Other industries are flying because they are adapting and responding way faster, we need to do the same. The pandemic changed the game and anybody who thinks it didn’t is in a tough place and we need to help and teach them how to progress moving forward.

9. Fashion is arguably one of the most difficult and elitist spaces to get into. How do you stay grounded?

I love fashion and I love progression, but the snobbery and elitist thing is just not my bag. Some people thrive off that and I’m sure it makes them feel special but I’ve been trying to close the gap between salon hairdressers and session work for a long time. We mustn’t forget where we all started, right?

IMAGE BY ALEX BARRON-HOUGH

10. If you had something you want to press on to the new generation of budding hairstylists, what would that be?

Stay inquisitive, be obsessive, research. Take opportunities to reach out via all the channels we have on social media. Be patient, listen and absorb. Practice what you love, imitate your heroes. Most of all, though, just be you; don’t feel pressured into becoming something you are not. The world is a global village so get out there and dream big.

SEE MORE OF NICK’S AESTHETIC AND THE CLUB NIGHTS THAT INSPIRED IT

CHECK OUT THESE SEMINAL TRACKS FROM THAT WEDNESDAY CLUB NIGHT THAT ARE ETCHED INTO MY DNA AS A HAIRDRESSER AND DJ. EVERY FASHION MOMENT HAS A MUSICAL BACKDROP…