LAURENT PHILIPPON.

Laurent unwittingly began his hairdressing career when he was very young , sweeping the floor and shampooing the men at his father's barber shop in France. He began to experiment on his girlfriends' hair , which prompted him to pursue an apprenticeship at a local salon.

He immediatly entered hair contests , which tested both his basic skills and his ability to experiment. He progressed quickly , winning the french , then european and eventually world championships at the age of 18.

In 1989 he was called to military service, wich took him to Paris,where he joined the firemens. It was there that he sought out Monsieur Alexandre , legendary hairdresser, who taught him the most rigorous and difficult of classic french hairstyling techniques.

After a few years , Laurent wanted to learn more about the world of session styling having witnessed its vast potential. He went to see famed hairdresser Julien d'Ys , who was known as a master of deconstruction , of dismantling and defying.

Laurent combined his training in classical techniques and a more abstract , intuitive, experimental approach , which was to be his streenght in the extremely competitive world of session styling. His passion for achitecture and landscapes constantly inspire his eye while travelling the world for fashion shows and photos shoots. When asked to define his style as a hairdresser , he answered , " wether it's an extravangant afro or a super chic updo , it's always elegant and flattering.

Laurent has worked as a creative consultant at Bumble and Bumble since1994.