Michael Haase: No Reservations!

by Hair's How

Artistic Director for Unite Eurotherapy at the renowned Cristophe Salon in Beverly Hills, C.A., Michael Haase tells it like it is…and swears he is NOT a celebrity stylist.

GM: I heard you grew up in the circus! That´s like every kid´s dream! What was that like?

MH: I did grow up in Germany in the European Circus. We traveled all over performing in different cities and various countries around Europe. It was just crazy: lots of colors, lots of shapes, and the travel was constant. I wish I would have been older to appreciate all the places we visited.

GM: So then, how did you get started in the beauty industry?

MH: My mother became a hairdresser after our circus days were over, and she also married a hairdresser. Watching them gave me a hint of what could be done with hair and beyond. My goal was to work with Vidal Sassoon, who I studied up on before I went in for my interview to the Salon. Back in the early 70´s, I went to beauty school on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, and there was a girl who was dating a cutter on the floor of Vidal´s salon and she was using really little scissors and I thought that was just the coolest thing. I wanted to do what she was doing.

GM: So what got you over here to the United States?

MH: The hairdresser my mother married happened to have a sister in the industry in Los Angeles — Panorama City to be exact. So we moved to Los Angeles via Canada. I moved away from home when I was 17 years old and got into hairdressing almost immediately. I had no idea what I wanted to do because I hated school. I hated reading, I didn´t like the people and I was a bit of a loner. I went to beauty school to give it a shot and fell in love immediately with the craft.

GM: What advice would you have for anyone coming out of beauty school today?

MH: Follow your ‘gut instinct.´ Over-thinking a shape can sometimes ruin your original vision. After all, we´re not cutting for length we´re cutting for shape. Clients don´t want to pay for a haircut, they spend for a look...a beautiful shape. Be creative and don´t worry about the mistakes, they help you see clearer... mistakes help you learn. I´ve disappointed a few people in my career I´m sure, but I learned from it and moved on. If you don´t make mistakes you can´t evolve and that can make you stale or make you a copy-cutter. There is enough lazy hairdressing and negativity in our industry. Be strong about your philosophy and your work ethic and share your knowledge.

George: What technical tip do you swear by?

MH: Know your basics: technique, over-direction, graduation, texture, etc. Many hairdressers have been saved by the long haircut and round brush blow-dry and they may be in trouble if this town ever goes short and technical, but of course that´s just my opinion. Get into your line cutting, get your hand steady and know how to cut a straight line. Train yourself to open your eyes and ‘see´ better. Working visually with your technical skills is a beautiful thing. Creation of shape and balance on a head shape is what we are all about so don´t settle for the norm.

GM: I know you say you´re not a ‘celebrity´ stylist, but you do have celebrity clients being based in Beverly Hills, California don´t you?

Michael: I do, but I do not use them to further my career. I don´t believe in it. These are not the people who want to be on the cover of trash magazines, as I call them. These are people with families who have been with me for many years. Whether they´ve been with me for 30 years or three years, they are my clients and I respect their need for privacy. I find that hairstylists are not as challenged in their skills because usually celebrities are guided by agents, press people and other stylists, taking away our expertise on what they should have on their head. Remember, fame is matter of importance, not quality. I´ve worked with a handful of stylists in my time that actually know why fabric is cut on the bias, that have trained in design and fashion in European Couture. The rest are just glorified shoppers with mom´s credit card thinking putting someone else´s art on a celebrity is all that! Don´t get me started! Hollywood likes to play it safe. And that has caused boredom of true design skills by hairdressers with talent. Our industry needs a chance to be reborn!

GM: What is the main difference between working in London as compared to the United States?

Michael: The main difference, in my opinion, is freedom of expression. In London, people are not afraid to express themselves openly. They do it through wardrobe and follow with an amazing haircut. Here in the U.S., people don´t do that. Instead, they see a celebrity and they want ‘that´ hair and the next thing you know everybody on the street has got the same Bohemian wavy hair, just long and shapeless. Everyone is a follower. There are not a lot of leaders left in our industry. Instead, they have turned retail and found themselves in a discount chain store selling just another shampoo. When I think about it, the new generations of hairdressers really are our future in the industry. They will set the trends and hopefully we will train them to see with new eyes what can be done in hair.

GM: You are already very accomplished in your career. Are they´re any specific goals you would still like to reach now?

MH: Yes, I would like to help lead the company I work with now, Unite, to the creative forefront in hair design and create a new culture of educated hairdressers really stoked on producing amazing hair. I would like to see the industry get back to really great hair and I´ll do it one head at a time. I think a change is coming. I think if women decided to spend a little less money on their lips and put it into their hair using a talented hairdresser who is fashion-forward and modern-thinking, our industry would be on top on the red carpet again.

GM: So fashion inspires your cuts?

Michael: I think it all starts in the street. Some of the fashion designers I have worked with are a definite influence. I also get my ‘flavors´ from Architecture and definitely European fashion. I just launched Fashion Week in L.A. with an amazing hairstyling team from all over the country to help me for Gen Art ‘The New Garde´ show. I met one of the designers, Trang Chau, and her work started appearing in my cuts shortly after seeing her collection. Her lines and fabrics were clean with a sense of femininity, really fun! I feel throughout Europe and Asia, designers are more bold to expose their true talent and are not afraid to challenge the mainstream to try new things. We, as hairdressers should follow suit.

GM: Do you have any other creative hobbies, like painting or drawing?

Michael: Hair is my hobby!

GM: But you´re very visual, right?

Michael: I´ve always had a visual concept about things. I see something in real life then I translate the idea, line or shape of what inspired me into a hair style. I just see it in my mind first — that´s how it works for me. GM: Technically speaking, what type of shears do you use? Michael: I use the old school 4-1/2” shears. I tried all the way up to 7” through the years and I´ve got a collection of shears that we could build a Battleship with if we melted it down. I find that it´s that close contact of the shorter shears that gets me in tighter. I use my longer shears for dry detail work on length and signature work. But still the shorties bring my brain, my eyes and my hands together as one, and that´s how I do my best work.

GM: Do you cut right- or left-handed?

Michael: I am actually ambidextrous: I cut with my left but I can also cut with my right hand when I need to. I use righthanded shears with my left hand. I learned that through trial and error because with lefties, I used to cut myself a lot. It´s not cool for clients to see their hairstylist with tons of band-aids on their hands. You lose control and trust that way.

GM: What part does ‘ego´ play in being a great hairdresser?

Michael: Ah yes, our egos. The ego is our most precious commodity if used correctly. It drives us to do better all the time, but you have to watch out for it! I mentioned making mistakes. When the ego takes over and you think you have it all is when your biggest disappointments will happen. Always be quick to own up to your mistakes, make your apologies, and move on. I have had some in my life, as everyone does. I have learned more from my mistakes, disappointments and apologies than if they would have never happened at all. As I have worked with hair for so many years now, my knowledge and passion has grown to epic proportions. The sharing of that knowledge and passion is even more important to the hairdressers and assistants we train. I have had many mentors in my career and the list looks like a who´s who of hairdressing, but each one opened my eyes a little wider and made me reach a little further. If it wasn´t for them I am positive I would not be where I am today.

GM: You´ve got some strong opinions about the retail product companies...

Everyday we have new challenges and new clients; each one has a wish of change for the better. As professionals, it should be our pleasure to create a look that is for that individual on a personal level, creating beauty and freshness for that head of hair, that client. Only our continuing education will allow us to build our resume of skills and talent and kick butt in this industry. It is not the retail product companies that have taken the professionalism away from us, to educate clients about their hair at the super market or discount chain store. It is we hairdressers that those product companies could not live without! If it wasn´t for us they would not exist. They only serve to copy us and our talents. Watch out because they try to hire us at discount rates as well. We need to remind them every so often that hair design starts with the hairdresser. It is created with our brain, our heart, and our talent. During my client´s consultation, that vision and combination is morphed onto a human head. If I ‘choose´ to, it might be finished with ‘your product´ if I find it worthy for the hair of my client. So for all of us artists in the beauty industry, let´s bring back the ‘beauty´ part of that title! And for the mega product companies that so brilliantly put their names on the heads of our hard work, be a little nicer to us and remember where artistry really starts. After all, do you really want to piss us off?

GM: Just out of curiosity, what´s your favorite color?

Michael: Black. Everyone looks good in black!

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