3 Hair Tips For The Modern Asian Women By Celebrity Stylist Kim Robinson
The Hong Kong-based celebrity hairstylist knows what women want and he's here to help us get that perfect hair-do
Famous for his $2,000 celebrity cuts – he’s styled the hair of Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, and Michelle Yeoh (and in older times, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and the late Princess Diana) – Kim Robinson is a celebrity hairstylist for a reason. “I listen,” he says, “to what women tell me.”
Born in Western Australia, he took to Hong Kong 48 years ago and hasn’t turned back. Robinson runs two salons in Asia, including his flagship in the prestigious Landmark Chater House, and another salon right here in Singapore’s Ngee Ann City, where he flies over to give cuts from time to time.
He spills his top hair tips for modern women:
An unsurprising one, but then again, what else were you expecting Robinson to say? His advice: spend money on cuts that look good even when washing and blowing them yourself. “Most of the time women leave salons fancily dried and styled, and look great. Then they shampoo at home and look the same as before,” he says. “You’re paying for a blow-dry, basically. It’s such a waste of money.”
Climate and diet affect hair, says Robinson, adding that Singaporean women tend to have very oily scalps and dry hair. To counter this, he developed his own product used in his salons, which he’s selling for the first time this year. but he advises you to go with whatever works and is convenient and easy to use. “The new-generation woman works full-time, has children, and doesn’t have time to spend hours at salons – or even at home – to take care of herself.”
Still, good solutions come with a price tag, he warns. “Buy less, but buy better. A lot of women buy and buy; they try different and cheaper products, but most of them end up in the cupboard. I don’t think it’s down to which product is the cheapest anymore.”
Magazines and designer brands used to dictate trends in hairstyles, but women don’t want to be told what to do or look like anymore. For example, women aged over 40 used to be told to cut their hair - but Michelle Yeoh looks great with long and flowing hair! So you do you. Says Robinson: "Mix things around, make your look their own. Do what works for you. That’s what’s modern.”
Text: Kennet Lee/The Peak