It’s hard to imagine a day before social media. What did people do back then? How did they know anything that was going on? Hard to say, but we’re just glad it exists now. Where else would we be able to ogle behind-the-scenes snaps of Awkwafina getting ready for the 2019 Oscars, or the craziness that happens backstage during the Academy Awards? Because of it, we get a never-before-seen look into how some of the best in the beauty biz operate, including the products they love, the clients they work with, and, hell, even the places they brunch.
Ahead, we’ve gathered 10 hairstylists who are changing the beauty game, one ‘gram at a time—and providing us with lots of hair inspiration along the way. From Reese Witherspoon’s go-to guru to the man who started the lived-in hair movement, here are the 10 hairstylists you need to follow on Instagram, stat!
@HairbyAdir / InstagramAdir Abergel prepped Reese Witherspoon’s hair for the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Oscars, and is a master at everything from sleek, retro waves to the perfect braided crown à la Dianna Agron. Oh, and Kristen Stewart counts on him to style her cropped pixie—enough said.
@JenAtkinHair / InstagramWe’re not shy about our love for Jen Atkin here at Byrdie HQ—she’s our official hair how-to expert, after all [not to mention an all-around wonderful human being]. Atkin is the go-to for all of the Kardashian Klan, as well as everyone from Jessica Alba to Chrissy Teigen. Follow her Insta for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the most glamorous events, locales [think Dubai], and of course, general silliness from your favorite celebrities. And as if she wasn’t already doing amazing things, Atkin is also the founder of Mane Addicts, your go-to source for everything and anything hair-related.
@HarryJoshHair / InstagramIf you enjoy seeing photos of beautiful models and actresses with really, really good hair on your Instagram feed, follow Harry Josh immediately. The hair legend consistently works with the likes of Gisele, Candice, and more [yes, only first names necessary].
@AnhCoTranA quick scroll through Anh Co Tran’s Instagram will explain why the mane master trademarked the term “lived-in hair”—no one does the tousled, beachy texture quite like him. If you’re looking for haircut inspiration, look no further than his Instagram, where gorgeous shots of his signature waves are interspersed with awe-inspiring before-and-afters, as well glimpses into his work with clients like Coco Rocha and Anne Hathaway.
@SamMcKnight1Sam McKnight is, quite simply put, a hair legend. The man is the one Karl Lagerfeld calls on to style Chanel’s runway hairstyles, and his jaw-dropping work is frequently featured in the likes of Vogue, Elle, and more. Follow his feed for hair creations you won’t see anywhere else.
@riawna / InstagramYou’d be hard-pressed to find any top hair list without Riawna Capri and her business partner Nikki Lee on it. Capri’s the co-founder of the celeb-favorite Nine Zero One salon in Los Angeles and counts everyone from Selena Gomez to Byrdie contributor Julianne Hough as clients. Also, she launched a new beauty site, Beauty Coach, that’ll teach you everything you want to know about hair, makeup, and more.
@MarkTownsend1 / @PatiDubroff / InstagramMark Townsend is perhaps best known as the man who took the Olsens’ textured waves to icon status. Today, he works with their younger sister, Elizabeth, as well as Dakota Johnson, and Kerry Washington.
Lacy Redway’s talent for textured and relaxed hair knows no bounds, having prepped the strands of everyone from Selma’s Carmen Ejogo to Zoë Kravitz. But her talents don’t stop there—she also frequently works with the well-tressed Olivia Palermo, and styles editorials for the international covers of magazines like Elle and Marie Claire.
@MaraRoszakIf you’ve been admiring Emma Stone’s hair from afar, follow Mara Roszak to get up close and personal. She’s Stone’s go-to for red carpet events, and also works with Zoe Saldana and Lily Collins, to name a few. The girl knows her way around a pair of scissors, trust us.
@TedGibsonTed Gibson is a jack-of-all-trades—and a master at all. The hairstylist not only runs his eponymous, in-demand salons, but also frequently leads the hair looks backstage during fashion week, styles clients like Lupita Nyong’o and Idina Menzel, and throws frequent hair seminars [and yes, you’ll see all of this on his Instagram].
Perfectly coiffured, celebrities just seem to walk onto the pages of glossy magazines like their hair just came like that; they just woke up, fell into their super-stylish clothes and walked out the house without even running a comb through their hair – you know, like boys do. Of course, the truth is that it takes hours of preparation with some of the best stylists in the business. So if you’ve ever wondered who does divas’ ‘dos, then look no further, here are some of the absolute best…
Charles Worthington
Charles Worthington launched his first salon, along with his sister, partner and ‘one other stylist’ [who is no doubt thrilled to be left out of the official history] over thirty years ago. Since then he’s been at the cutting edge of all things cutting with some of Britain’s most famous stars. As the Official Hair Partner of the BAFTAs, not to mention the Oscars, he’s crafted some of the world’s most famous hair, putting his qualifications as an architect to a slightly different, though arguably equally aesthetic, purpose.
Operating from salons in Fitrovia and Covent Garden, he’s equally well known for wide array of products, but it’s celebrities like the entire case of Sex And The City, Diana Ross at the Met Gala or Sharon Stone and Emilia Fox at the BAFTAs that have propelled Worthington to the heights of hairdressery.
Where: 7 Percy Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 1DH
Website: www.charlesworthingtonsalons.com
Pol Garcia at Gielly Green
He may be relatively young, but Pol Garcia has claimed one significant scalp: Pippa Middleton. The stylist, originally from Mexico but now settled in London [via the USA, Paris and Belgrade], is a favourite of worldwide royalty and is known for his work with Andrea Riseborough, Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Sanjay Gupta, Clemence Poesy, Lea Seydoux, Poppy Delavigne, Irina Shayk, Bryan Ferry, Bianca Jagger as well as granny to the future king, Carol Middleton.
Pippa Middleton’s wedding hairdo is regarded as his high point, catapulting him even further into the hairy stratosphere. Expect big things…
Where: Gielly Green, 42-44 George Street, Marylebone, W1U 7ES
Website: www.giellygreen.co.uk
Daniel Hersheson
If you want to get ahead, you need to style this head. Kate Middleton‘s locks will unlock untold riches, but first you’ll have to fight the scissors out of the hand of Daniel Hersheson. A veteran of the hairdressing trade, he founded his business in 1992 and has grown consistently since. And it’s not just K-Mid, he’s also stylist to Pixie Geldof and Sienna Miller and along with co-founder Luke Hersheson, they trot the globe styling A-listers as they go.
When they’re in London they’re in Fitzrovia at one of the capital’s must-visit salons: theirs.
Where: Hershesons, 29-32 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 3LR
Website: www.hershesons.com
George Northwood
Dressing hair since the early 2000s, George Northwood is known in the industry as the man responsible for Alexa Chung‘s ‘look’. The TV presenter describes him as “a hair magician, a real master of hair” and with good reason, her career trajectory has sky rocketed as her hair varies from tousled waves to forties to sixties styles to her current shoulder length waves. As Chung’s star arguably wanes, Northwood has plenty of other celeb clients, not least model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley but most notably he’s been adding some sparkle to Meghan Markle.
Northwood set up his first solo venture in Fitzrovia [pretty much the home of hair] after his celeb clients and upmarket magazine editors entreated him to bring his style to the masses [albeit the in-the-know and in-the-money masses]. He does hairdressing session work for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle.
Where: George Northwood Salon, 24 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 3PH
Website: www.georgenorthwood.com
Nicky Clarke
Nicky Clarke is to hair as Mick Jagger is to rock and roll or Jeremy Clarkson is to misogyny. He’s at the top of the pile and everyone in high hair society knows it. With over forty years in the industry, the man is a legend; they even gave him an OBE for his services with scissors. His client list is a veritable BT phone book [milenials: google it] of fame, from Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, to pop and actual royalty in the form of our favourite dead-os David Bowie and Princess Di.
And don’t let his better-looking-version-of-Noel-Edmonds appearance fool you, he’s also a dab hand at business, with products to his name as well as salons in London and Birmingham, making him, along with his regular TV appearances, the best known hairdresser in the country.
Where: 11 Carlos Place, Mayfair, W1K 3AX
Website: www.nickyclarke.com
Josh Wood
You know those Samsung adverts, with all the colourful balls tumbling down a hill or whatever it is? Josh Wood is that, but for hair, not tellies. The master colourist from Barnsley can not only make the grey go away, but is renowned for his vision and technical ability with colour with his special brand of glossy, natural but believable-looking hair. He’s at the beck-and-call of celebs including Kylie Minogue and Elle Macpherson, and he charges more than anyone else in the business to board a private jet and style an A-lister.
Wood leads a team of experts at the Josh Wood Colour Salon, or atelier, in Notting Hill.
Where: 6 Lansdowne Mews, Notting Hill, W11 3AN
Website: www.joshwoodcolour.com
John Frieda
One of the doyens of hair, John Frieda has been on the scene for longer than we care to divulge. Now coming out of retirement only for the super ‘slebs, he’s known for his work on Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts and Scarlett Johansson, but his work goes much further back than this. Frieda styled The Beatles, while his work for Joanna Lumley for the 1988 film The Avengers was so widely requested that it was the ’80s version of the Rachel-from-Friends hair do.
Where: 4 Aldford Street, Mayfair, W1K 2AE
Website: www.johnfriedasalons.com
If you’re interested in more than just hairy celebs, then we’ve got just the tool for you – check out The Handbook’s Celebrity & Influencer contact tool..