With a career spanning four decades, hundreds of Vogue covers, and a list of clients including everyone from Princess Diana to Bella Hadid, hair stylist Sam McKnight is a legend in the industry.
To celebrate the launch of his hair product range, Hair by Sam McKnight, landing in Brown Thomas, he visited the Dundrum branch to share his incredible career story and hair knowledge with a select audience over breakfast.
One of Sam’s favourite heads to style was that of British model Kate Moss, the inspiration behind his iconic 'Cool Girl Texture Mist’ - a product that promises the ‘undone’ sexy tresses we’ve all been attempting to wrangle our hair into for years.
Speaking at the event, Sam described his journey from styling Kate's hair when she was just a teenager to more recent years as the ‘powerhouse’ she has become.
Describing the model's locks as an "English Rose type of fine hair", that needs "a little bit of help", he mused on one particular photoshoot in St Barts where all the hair and makeup products were lost, leading him to fill a bottle of water from the sea and mixing it with sun tan lotion to spray to give Kate's tresses some texture.
This incident, he says, inspired his ‘Sundaze Sea Spray’ hair product.
Speaking of Moss, McKnight insists that the iconic looks of the fabulous supermodels he worked with in the 90s are coming back with a bang.
"I think the big thing this summer is going to be a bit of volume, a bit of finish, and going back to that 90s supermodel sort of thing. We've all been - all of us that are backstage - pushing towards that recently.
"There was just a Versace show in the South of France which was really big hair, I mean that's pushing it to a different limit," he says, referencing the Italian fashion house's 2023 cruise collection co-designed with singer Dua Lipa.
"What we have been doing recently is a little bit more done and a little bit more polish. You can get all the great products from us but you can also invest in a good hot brush or a set of hot rollers."
Sam spoke so eloquently about passionately about hair, we could have listened to him for hours, but these are the top five takeaways to live by:
1. Keep it simple
Most hair can’t take too much product before it stops playing ball, so don’t overload your hair with products. Your hair can take no more than three products before it gets weighed down.
2. Shake things up
According to McKnight, there are four styles in every woman. A change of a parting, a few layers, or a long fringe can change your whole look, so don’t be afraid to experiment and try new styles every few years.
3. Go big and go retro
With the assistance of model, Olivia, McKnight demonstrated how he achieved a voluminous root lift with sleek tonged ends. For those of us at home without a hair stylist on call, he recommends using medium-sized velcro rollers (preferably heated) and letting them sit for at least an hour.
4. Mind your scalp
Dry shampoo will absorb oil on your scalp, but it is a quick fix and temporary solution that must be blown out with cold hair and brushed out. Don’t keep layering it up all week as it’s not good for your scalp.
5. Manifest that shine
A positive attitude towards your hair will go a long way. Sam has worked with clients who speak very negatively about their hair, bemoaning how it won’t do this or that but insists that the right styling products and tools for every type of hair are out there.
The legendary stylist enjoyed watching and working with a huge range of stars during his career and praised the new age of social media which allows supermodels of previous era’s to make a comeback on their own terms with their own curated content.
Listening to him speak so positively and with such admiration for the famous ‘workhorse’ women of all ages and walks of life he’s styled, you can’t help but feel we could all be a little more positive about one another, ourselves, and most of all, our hair.
Sam McKnights full haircare range is now available to purchase in Brown Thomas.
