Words by Roshna Chandran
After making waves in Hollywood, celebrity hairstylist Gabriel Georgiou made a huge splash in the Bollywood industry with his original style, while setting iconic trends across the globe.
Gabriel takes a moment from his hectic schedule to talk to LLM about his take on what’s new while the world gets back to the new normal post Covid pandemic lockdown.
Post pandemic lockdown, people are embracing their grey hair, beard and fine lines. Do you think the natural look has made a huge come-back and is it here to stay?
It (grey hair) definitely has made a huge comeback. We saw many celebrities in Cannes embracing their greys and now beginning to see it more and more. I personally have embraced my greys since my 30s and I love it!
Many people are feeling more comfortable with embracing their natural look and I think that it’s great. People need to have the confidence to flaunt it. Oyster grey has been a summer trend this year and there is no reason why we won’t be seeing more of the grey shades autumn onwards. The faking of the greys from colouring or highlights and the natural look will definitely continue.
Where do you draw inspiration from to create a look for any occasion?
Well I never follow trends, even though it inspires us to create similar styles with our own signature tweak. I’ve always pretty much done my own thing and it depends on the event, the outfit, the environmental factors, and the comfort level that specific client has, whether it’s an actor, model, bride or any other; there are many things to consider.
Going artistic with a look can be quite challenging; which was the most arduous and exciting creative look you have worked on? Are models/actors willing to experiment?
There are so many creative looks I’ve enjoyed working on. I definitely loved working on the Barbie Girl look I did for actress Deepika Padukone for the Met Gala ‘Camp on notes’ theme and the high pony with the leather wrapped base for the red carpet at Cannes film festival.
Kangana Ranaut’s style in the movie ‘Dhakaad’ was interesting to work on. The hair-dos were pretty challenging as the movie character is set in an action thriller.
I do get a lot of creative freedom while working with fashion models as there is room for a lot of experimenting. Generally actors play it safer and want to just look beautiful but despite that, there are some who are willing to experiment. I get them to flaunt interesting looks and enjoy being quirky which definitely makes a huge difference. It is nice to make a statement at times.
Which are your favourite brands to work with?
I like using specific products for specific things, for instance, the GK dry oil shine spray is light, helps with flyaways and smells amazing too. I also work with Rilken Vzoom Extra Strong hold hairspray made by Schwarzkopf; I have always sourced this product from Greece, because it’s great for Mediterranean hair and works great with Indian hair. It’s got a strong hold but easy to brush out without leaving residue. I also prefer the Toni and Guy Sea salt spray and Balmain Dry Shampoo.
One of my favourite brushes to use is from Harry Josh Pro tools and of course, love my GHD straighteners. So you see, you have got to experiment until you find what really works for you. Also the less chemicals the better. I do try and choose organic products whenever I can, especially when it comes to oils for treatments and moisturising hair.