Celebrity Hairstylist George Northwood Reveals The Secret To A Signature Haircut

I meet George Northwood in the midst of a sizzling heatwave, but he looks nothing but cool – all striped linen, silver chains and micro tattoos. Brand founder, salon owner and hairstylist to the stars, Northwood is one of the UK’s most revered industry authorities and his list of starry regulars reads like a fashion week front-row seating plan. From Claudia Winkleman’s fringe to ‘The Alexa’ – one of the most cited chops in hairdressing history – via Meghan Markle’s wedding updo, Northwood has been the man behind some of the most enduring cuts of the past decades. So what made him take up his scissors?

‘I was fascinated by hair when I was a kid,’ he tells me. ‘It was the late ’80s and everyone was obsessed with perms.’ Northwood grew up in Luton and his path seemed predestined when, aged 11, he turned his parents’ loft into a mock hair salon. ‘I used to invite my sister and girls in the street up to have their hair “permed”,’ he remembers, ‘I used water in place of perming solution and my mum’s tiny rollers.’

Northwood’s mother was a mobile hairdresser. ‘I travelled with her on jobs,’ he says. ‘It’s how I came to really respect that magical relationship between hairdresser and client.’ An introvert, it was the intimacy of those moments that appealed to him.

Those skills served him well when he landed a job at Hershesons, one of London’s biggest salons, in the early noughties. Thrust into the fashion scene, Northwood began working with the big-name clients who remain loyal to him today. ‘I met Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Alexa Chung when they were just starting out,’ he says. ‘We were all fledglings in our field – I was a junior stylist and they were unknown models who came in for free haircuts.’

Soon, everyone’s star was on the rise. ‘Alexa was hired for T4 and became a household name,’ he remembers, ‘while Rosie moved to New York and signed to Victoria’s Secret.’ Northwood’s own success grew in tandem. The A-list world is a small one in which new creatives who pass muster are quickly endorsed. ‘I worked with magazine editors who recommended me to Gwyneth Paltrow, who recommended me to Kate Hudson, who recommended me to Julianne Moore...’ he says.

In April 2014 – aptly, St George’s Day– Northwood opened his first eponymous salon on Wells Street in London’s Fitzrovia. ‘It had always been my dream,’ he says. ‘I used to hear about people travelling from the home counties to salons like John Frieda and my ambition was to create that same draw.’ Mission accomplished. Regulars – Rosie H-W, Alexa and Claudia – visited, posing for selfies in the salon mirrors, which drew in new-gen stars. Think Suki Waterhouse, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Alicia Vikander and Claire Foy.

Then royalty came knocking. In 2018 Northwood began working with the Duchess of Sussex, creating the wedding- reception updo that complemented her Stella McCartney gown. Relationship established, Northwood accompanied Meghan on a series of overseas trips. ‘She was so great,’ he says. ‘She has a laid-back approach to hair, but was always conscious of royal protocol. She really did try her best.’

I ask about his knack for delivering a signature cut. ‘You have to ditch two things,’ he explains, ‘trends and your ego.’ For Northwood, it’s all about the person in the chair. ‘It’s not about the cut that’s going viral on TikTok, it’s not about showcasing my skillset, it’s about collaborating, listening and eventually hitting on a look that suits my client’s lifestyle, reflects their personality and makes them feel incredible.’ Therein lies the art.

‘My ultimate goal with every one of my clients is to make their hair their “thing”,’ he says. ‘If I can give them a cut that’s so timeless and so them that it becomes iconic... that’s everything, right?’

So how to hit on the haircut of a lifetime? ‘It’s all about communication,’ says Northwood. ‘Arrive at the salon armed with inspiration, a series of images that best represent the look you’re after and talk each of them through with your hairdresser; they’ll use these to get an idea of your style.’ He also notes it is crucial to give feedback. ‘Don’t smile politely and say yes to a style if you’re not sure about it. Push back if you don’t think it will make you feel great, or you know you’ll never have enough time to style it properly – the more you tell your hairdresser, the closer you’ll get to that iconic cut. It’s a team effort.’

For those who can’t make it to one of Northwood’s salons (he opened a second in Shoreditch earlier this year),there are products to use at home. He’s behind a range of affordable shampoos, conditioners, sprays and heat stylers all designed to serve the effortless, undone finish he is famed for.

So what’s next for Northwood? ‘A new salon,’ he beams. ‘We’re heading to the Cotswolds, [hotel and private members’ club] Estelle Manor. The doors open in autumn.’ Buckle up, Northwood’s coming for the country set.

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