Jean-Paul Rosette Hairstylist

Since 1994 Jean-Paul Rosette has worked in salons and as a freelance hairstylist in London, New York and Sydney. Within that time he has worked on fashion spreads catwalk shows and numerous magazine editorials such as Vanity Fair, Elle, Vogue, Dazed & Confused and ad magazines. And groomed the locks of celebrities such as Naomi Campbell, Charlize Theron, Jessica Biel, Ivana Trump, Martha Stewart and Owen Wilson to name a few.

He currently writes monthly columns about hair and hair preparations for Matrix Magazine titled “Behind The Chair”, cosmetiholic.com. He also contributes here at Style Street as well as his own blog titled Heads Will Roll. You’ll find him at Worksense Haircutters doing his thing.

Style Street: So why blog?

Jean-Paul Rosette: My friends are black collar workers, so when I asked them what they were working on, they would show me their CD, building, short film etc, and I felt like I didn’t really have anything physical to show besides the photo shoot or magazine spread, so the blog is my way of addressing that. Perhaps it’s my reflection on the semi-permanent nature of hairdressing. And a way of sketching out ideas and my thoughts about current trends and the industry.

SS: How long have you been writing?

JPR: I started writing about 10 years ago, back then The Age newspaper would ring up and ask about fashion/hair forecasts and the like, then I got a piece in Harper bazaar and I thought I should put these little doodles somewhere anywhere. A friend of mine (Lauren Zoric- music journalist) said that I should start a blog. It just started to snow-ball from there.

SS: You like working overseas?

JPR: Absolutely, but the idea of dropping everything and starting again was terrifying as a hairdresser, especially dropping all those clients I’d worked hard to get. However, I’d recommend it to everybody, drop what you’re doing and start again. It’s very liberating, creatively speaking, and I believe it’s a great motivator in terms of understanding how to build your client base. I leant a lot, I learnt to stand on my own two feet.

SS: What advice would you give young hairdressers?

JPR: Mmm… Explore all avenues about hairdressing. Wig making, barbering and how to make your own products.

SS: Favorite tools?

JPR:
Mason Pearson brush, www.masonpearson.com/
Bumble & Bumble classic spray, www.bumbleandbumble.com/
Needle and thread.

SS: What are you working on at the moment?

JPR: Interviewing Katie Underwood, long time friend and client about her hair and our relationship.

SS: Future plans.
JPR: Putting together a little book of Polaroids. I’ve taken thousands of these things over the years. I like the format. It’s imperfect, instant and disposable all at the same time.

Links, and further reading
Heads Will Roll http://whathappensinthechairstaysinthechair.blogspot.com/
http://www.cosmetiholic.com/

Worksense Haircutters
St.Kilda 95340366
Melbourne 96700496
Contact Jean-Paul
jprosette@ozonline.com.au
http://twitter.com/jeanpaulrosette