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Khaleej Times

Dubai: Celebrity hair stylist Rossano Ferretti on how he came up with The Method to cut locks

Rossano Ferretti knows the science and art of hair. That he has come to be known for haircuts that are — believe it or not — seen as works of architecture imbued with near-scientific precision is a testament to his craftsmanship. 'When I was a little boy, my teachers used to tell my parents that I ought to be an architect or a designer,' says Rossano, at his salon in Park Hyatt Dubai. 'I wanted to be an architect because I was very good in design. My teachers would tell my mother that I had hands that could practically design everything. But that was the time when my hands would bleed because of the excessive shampooing at my mother's salon.' Rossano came from a small village in Italy, and studying in Florence or Venice was 'like going to the moon'. His grandfather, who had been a barber wanted him to try his hand at hairdressing. So, he did the next best thing — he sent Rossano to London to study hairdressing. 'The hairstyles I had seen coming from that part of the world had elements of architecture. The first bob, for example, was also the first geometric haircut to come out of 'Swinging London'. I went there and learnt how to cut a bob in three days,' recalls Rossano. This was unprecedented, given that it would usually take someone a year to master it. 'I have since spent the rest of my life trying to destroy the geometrical method,' says Rossano. By this time, Rossano had come to realise he had a special talent. He was not wrong. Three years later, in 1979, Rossano would do his first catwalk, which opened the world of fashion for him. Rossano catapulted into popular imagination with 'The Method', a form of haircut that involves texturised scissors (patented by Ferretti) being employed to cut the hair in sync with its natural course. It honours the natural flow of hair, enhancing its texture and shape without rigid geometric structures ('This scissor is the only scissor that can texturise hair fibre without crunching it,' he says). The technique, performed only by artists trained by Rossano himself, uses custom-designed scissors, and creates a personalised, effortless look. Rooted in Italian craftsmanship, it allows hair to fall naturally, requiring minimal styling while maintaining elegance and sophistication. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. What I do in The Method is that my arms follow the hair fall and my arms and scissors become a prolongation of my hands. It does not matter whether your hair is curly, straight or wavy, this technique is bespoke to every individual" Rossano says when he started talking about the natural hair look and invisible haircut, everyone thought he was 'crazy'. In doing so, he also became an advocate for 'skinification' of hair before it became a trend. The logic was simple — hair needed to be cared for the same way we care for our skin. 'It's all about hair health,' he says. 'Haircare is the new skincare.' Coming back to 'The Method', Rossano says it was born in a moment of 'big happiness, big success but also great frustration'. 'It was quite successful, but I was never happy, because I was telling myself that everyone loves it, but they don't really see it for what it is. It was not about the scissor movement, it could not have been completely geometrical either. When you have wet hair, and you straighten it with a comb and then attempt to cut it, what happens is the hair takes a different form when it dries. It's a disaster. What I do in The Method is that my arms follow the hair fall and my arms and scissors become a prolongation of my hands. It does not matter whether your hair is curly, straight or wavy, this technique is bespoke to every individual. In that sense, The Method evolves every single time, depending on whose hair you cut,' says Rossano who's stopped implementing The Method himself and has instead trained his staff in it. Today, international A-listers like Kate Middleton, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lawrence, Anna Wintour, Dakota Johnson, Pippa Middleton, Sophie Windsor, Poppy Delevingne, Richard Gere, Al Pacino and others have been spotted at Rossano Ferreti's salons across the world. In fact, the hair maestro recalls the time when Pacino famously told the world press about visiting his salon. 'He had come to Rome to attend a film festival and then went back to New York. When asked what his best memory of Rome was, he mentioned visiting the salon. I've got to admit, it did feel quite nice.' It's not just the people who visit Rossano Ferretti salons, but the moment he truly discovers the person underneath that true magic happens. 'Consultation is the moment when everything actually comes together,' he says. 'That's the moment when a person actually opens up to you — tells you their story, their frustration, what they like, what they dislike, what their personal problems are.' Once the personality is revealed, a suitable style emerges. 'I think there is a lack of information about haircare. People don't really know what it means to have a haircare regimen. They know what it is like to have a skincare regimen, but not haircare. They buy products for price or marketing, not necessarily for quality. Longevity of hair is dependent on how you eat, how you move, how you think. Hair health is a consequence of all these things. If you have a high cholesterol or something, it won't help.' From his range of products to hairstyles, everything about the Rossano Ferretti brand speaks of luxury. The hair maestro maintains that luxury is an emotion. 'Think about it, you can buy a bag that costs $10 (Dh36). Then why do buy a bag that costs $45,000? You are actually buying an emotion, you are buying a moment. For me, it's all about experience. Life is about moments, and every single moment cannot be special. So that's where luxury comes in.' The irony is that despite the promises of the beauty industry, there are very few bright professionals who actually enter the haircare business. This is when Rossano speaks most passionately about the problems of the industry. 'I could write a book on it. It's devastating that today, you don't find people who are passionate about this business. People cannot imagine that a hairdresser can actually be a rich man. No father encourages his children to become a hairdresser because they think it is a poor man's profession. With a change in the mindset, you can actually give a profession to poor people.' As for his dreams of becoming an architect, Rossano says he has fulfilled it. 'I became the most famous architect in the history of haircare. I have created the most trendy looks of the past 40 years. I began with reading the person, and give them a haircut that matches their style, but it ended up becoming some form of trend.'