Guido Palau was sacked from his first job at Vidal Sassoon Bournemouth in the 1980s. He had taken to filling out the appointment diary with names of celebrities like ‘Barbra Streisand’ and, upon discovering this, the managers promptly let him go, stating he would never make it as a hairdresser. Of course, that was a false prophecy, as Palau went on to become not only one of the most influential hair stylists of our time but also one of the most powerful forces in the fashion industry at large (a list he was added to by the British Fashion Council in 2009 alongside names like John Galliano and Nick Knight).
Never losing that rebellious streak, Guido’s unconventional creativity propelled the grunge era of the 1990s, shaped the spectacular runways of Alexander McQueen, and gave rise to some of fashion’s most famous images alongside legends like Steven Meisel and David Sims. Styling a staggering 30 fashion shows each season, he continues to define beauty today, inventing everything from bird-of-paradise bowl cuts for Loewe to the manically frizzed fringes that went viral on Miu Miu’s runway last year. He also masterminded Zara’s haircare launch earlier in 2024. Incredibly, amongst all this, he’s had time to work on a personal project over the past 12 months – a fun, sensual photo book made with friend and model Kaia Gerber, exploring the power of secret identities.
