Vernon Francois, hair stylist and image consultant
I distinctly remember one Sunday afternoon, getting my done by my mum and her battering my scalp. The hairstyle was s**t really and I was just like, “I’m sure, I can do better than this.” I set myself a mission and from that day forward and I taught myself how to braid. Anything that had three bits hanging off it, I’d be braiding, twisting, knotting and getting beats for doing it at the same time.
I started doing little sweeps and gelling fringes on a Barbie doll, putting the product on and spiking the hair out and I used to hide that under my bed – that was my prized possession for quite some time. My dad realised I did hair and he became my biggest fan. I started doing hair for carnivals, you know, doing the braids, the criss-cross and the flat twists for girls. I was born in Huddersfield and raised in Leeds and Manchester, and when I moved down to London I ended up working at Burlington salon. From there I went to work for Desmond Murray, won three awards for hairdressing and then people started asking me for style advice.
I started giving constructive criticism and that’s when I took up consulting, working with artists and travelling. I’ve worked with Jodie Connors, Ruff Diamondz, VV Brown and on Britain’s Next Top Model and Coleen’s Real Women and I’m launching my own collection of hair and clothes this year.
How to be a… hairstylist and image consultant
Vernon says, “It’s so cliché to say but ‘be yourself’. Sit back, observe and allow time to be your success rather than wanting to be successful straightaway. Do work experience and be prepared work for free. Go in there with a very open mind, very determined that you’re gonna get something out of anything whether it’s a good situation or a bad situation and allow time to make your success.”
