To be a good hairdresser, you have to understand what the vision is of the designer or the photographer and then sort of add your thing.

I was building my work, and it took me a long time. For a good five or six years I was just kind of bobbing around, doing everything and anything.

When you respect somebody who has talent, whether it's a designer or a photographer, then you don't want to let yourself down - but you also really don't want to let them down.

I got into hairdressing and moved from Dorset to London, where I got an apprenticeship at Vidal Sassoon. This was around '83 or '84. I was working on South Molton Street, which was then the epicenter of all the shops. It was like a catwalk. So I did my apprenticeship there, but I wasn't successful.

When I think of the people I've worked with, all of them have great passion, and the passion is what keeps people inspired.

I think now because of this whole social media thing, people obviously felt these things [about cultural appropriation] before, and they comment on everything.

The Brits always favor the underdog. There's an eccentricity to us, and I think you can see that through the fash- ion and the music and the way people look.