Celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke has revealed how he grew his multi-million-pound salon business into a global entity after starting out as a humble trainee earning just £12 a week.
The London-born stylist to the stars is proud of his roots, having grown up in a working-class family on a council estate, where his parents taught him the value of money and instilled his unwavering work ethic.
After celebrating his 66th birthday on 17th June, Clarke has been named as the world’s third richest hairdresser. He has wry memories of his father’s disapproval of his career choice after leaving school at 16 to work in a salon, rather than concentrating on his education.
His meteoric rise in the hairdressing world surpassed all expectations, cementing his stature as stylist to celebrities such as Paul McCartney and the late Davie Bowie, and earning him an OBE.
Early life
Nicky Clarke was born in 1958 and grew up in a two-bedroom council house as one of six siblings. His father worked at Bankside Power Station in London and his mother was a seamstress, so the family was never well-off.
With an outside toilet and no bathroom, they visited the local swimming pool to bathe. However, they never “felt poor” and didn’t go without anything, according to Clarke, as his mother was a good cook, and nothing ever went to waste.
The kids always had birthday and Christmas presents but they understood there would be no extravagances, so they couldn’t just have what they wanted.
Clarke did worse than anticipated in his O-levels and left school at 16 with few qualifications. Due to his interest in fashion, he decided to become a junior stylist, earning £12 a week at Mayfair hairdressing salon House of Leonard. He later spoke of the “disappointment” on his father’s face at the time, as being a hairdresser wasn’t considered a regular career choice for a man in the early 1970s.
At the time, he was advised to start out “at the bottom” at a good salon, “sweeping the floor and polishing the brass” - an ethos he still believes in today, as it spurred him to aim high. Clarke showed such an aptitude for hairstyling that he completed his apprenticeship in a record ten months, rather than the standard three years.
Rise to fame
After becoming famous almost overnight, working alongside top stylist John Frieda at House of Leonard, he won his first photo shoot for high fashion magazine Vogue while still only 17. He created the hairstyles for a six-page fashion spread.
In 1976, Frieda launched the John Frieda Clifford Stafford salon on Marylebone Road with fellow stylist Stafford. Clarke joined them, earning a reputation as their most innovative and productive stylist, including in the photographic studio too. Already moving in a fashionable crowd, he became friends with many stars of the New Romantics music scene, including pop singer Boy George.
After Stafford left the business in 1980, Clarke continued working with Frieda and for the next decade was the most sought-after hairdresser in the UK. He earned enough through hairdressing to get on the property ladder at the age of only 23, buying his first flat in London in 1981.
His meteoric rise to fame saw him styling many show business and royal clients including Diana, Princess of Wales, rock legends David Bowie and Bryan Ferry, former Beatle Paul McCartney and many top supermodels. He lists Naomi Campbell as someone he “loves” working with, having known her since she was 17 - Kate Moss is also one of his favourite clients.
He has also styled hair for many magazine photo shoots including Harpers & Queen, Vogue, Tatler and more, for clients including Diana Ross, Duran Duran and Brooke Shields.
Nicky hair salon launch
Clarke won the prestigious Session Hairdresser of the Year Award in 1988 and 1989, paving the way for the launch of his first salon in Mayfair in 1991. Simply called “Nicky Clarke”, it was a joint enterprise between the stylist and his then long-term partner, Lesley Clarke.
The grand opening saw the Duchess of York complete the ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of an audience of celebrities. Reporters from every UK national newspaper attended, and it received unprecedented publicity.
A huge success from the start, he won the London Hairdresser of the Year accolade in 1992, ‘94 and ‘95. A haircut alone cost £650 and Clarke’s business empire was valued at an estimated £60 million.
Launching his own range of hair styling products in 1993, it became the first luxury brand to be sold in supermarkets. In 1997, he added an electrical product range. This was followed by the Nicky Clarke Hairwise range for Tesco in March 2015.
He also published his book, Hair Power, in 2000 and has appeared on light entertainment TV programmes such as Shooting Stars, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and Celebrity Come Dine with Me.
Clarke recalled being hired to style Isabella Rossellini’s hair when she became the face of L’Oreal. Although he blow-dried her hair each morning, he admitted to spending three days just “sitting around”, for which he was paid £15,000.
On another occasion, the most expensive haircut he ever gave anyone cost £27,000, although it was all in a good cause, as they had won it at a charity auction.
In March 2004, Clarke opened a second salon in Birmingham’s high-end shopping centre, The Mailbox, quickly establishing himself as the city’s top hairstylist.
He was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in February 2008 in recognition of his 30 years’ service to hairdressing.
Career setback
Like everyone else, Clarke felt the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which sadly forced him to shut down his Mayfair salon due to the lengthy lockdowns.
Announcing news of the closure in April 2022, he admitted it had been the “toughest” two years he had ever experienced, with increasing overheads and rates making it impossible to sustain the business.
At the time, he described the situation as being “heartbreaking and sad”. However, his salon in Birmingham is still going strong today.
Hairdressing supplies
While hygiene has always been paramount in every successful salon, the pandemic served to emphasise the importance of using top quality salon supplies, such as hairdressing gloves, hand-wash and cleaning products, as part of the daily routine.
Whether you’re a hairdressing icon like Nicky Clarke, or a small business on the high street, hygiene practices should be equally important.
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