Trevor Sorbie
celebrity stylist with down-to-earth roots
Trevor Sorbie is the hair stylist who has won more awards than Oasis, travelled more air miles than Richard Branson and satisfied more women than the Chippendales.
Pioneer of cuts and styling techniques such as The Wedge, The Chop and The Scrunch and innovator of professional haircare products for the high street, Trevor Sorbie has won the coveted British Hairdresser of the Year title a record four times.
His diverse catalogue of TV credits range from GMTV and This Morning to Call My Bluff, Whatever You Want, and the National Lottery's We've Got Your Number.
Contemporaries and competitors meanwhile hero-worship the fun-loving and unassuming Sorbie. A "brilliant career" created by the combination of "original thinking with superb technical ability" says Vidal Sassoon of his former Artistic Director. Anthony Mascolo acknowledges him as "one of the best hairdressers ever…both directionally and creatively," while Patrick Cameron describes him as a "great mentor for many thousands of hairdressers."
Charles Worthington, another household name, says Sorbie is the individual who changed the industry's agenda, and Anthony Mascolo credits him as having "directionally and creatively put England back in the forefront of hairdressing."
Yet, in spite of his legendary status in a world renowned for its precious prima donnas and pretension, in spite of his celebrity clientele, the dozens of glittering awards, high profile TV appearances and column inches in the glossies, Trevor Sorbie remains true to his roots.
The son and grandson of barbers, he was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1949. But on dropping out of school at 15 his dreams were of becoming a famous artist rather than following into the family line.
On several levels he has achieved this early ambition; his stage shows are nothing short of captivating whilst as a pioneer of style he works with top photographers to create stunning visual images that elevate hairdressing to an art form.
He has not lost the "common touch," however. Refreshingly candid and down-to-earth, Sorbie firmly believes in what he describes as "real hair for real people."
At his prestigious salon in Floral Street, Covent Garden, he still charges only £150 for a cut - a real snip compared to an appointment with many other leading hairstylists whose fees run into double figures and beyond.
His thinking behind this value-for-money pricing structure is that although his artistic work is an all-consuming passion and he greatly values his celebrity clientele, he also wants to create "wonderfully wearable styles for ordinary people."
The downside to such a conviction is that Sorbie devotees can face a wait of several months for an appointment with the man himself! However, he has gathered a talented creative team of stylists to work alongside him and they share both his philosophy and his approach to the art of hairdressing.
Meanwhile, all consumers can sample his trendsetting product range. The Trevor Sorbie Professional Haircare System. Launched in 1986, the brand was one of the first comprehensive designer ranges on the market and is available now in 11 countries. The range can be purchased in the UK from chemists, supermarkets, and by mail order as well as from the Covent Garden salon.
