For Florian Hurel, a good hairstyle is not simply one that gets attention in the salon. The real test is whether it continues to suit the person once they leave.

“A hairstyle can get attention for ten seconds. The real test is whether it still looks right when the person walks away,” he said.

Creating something dramatic is relatively easy, but making a hairstyle feel personal requires a deeper understanding of the client. “There are many ways to create an impressive hairstyle. You can make it bigger, sharper, more dramatic or more fashionable. But creating something that belongs to the person takes a different level of understanding,” he said. That understanding begins with knowing the person. “I always want to know who I’m working with before I decide what I’m going to do with their hair. How do they dress? How much time do they spend getting ready? Are they comfortable being noticed? Do they like structure or movement? What does their hair naturally want to do?” he said.

“That last question is important. Hair has a personality of its own!” he added. For him, longevity matters more than a perfect salon finish. “Sometimes the best haircut is not the one that looks most spectacular in the salon mirror. It’s the one that still looks fantastic two weeks later, on a normal Tuesday morning, when nobody has professionally styled it,” he said. Trends can provide inspiration, but they should not take over. “Trends are useful for inspiration, but they should never be allowed to overpower the person,” he said.
He also believes hair and confidence influence each other. “I think it works both ways. Confidence can make someone carry any hairstyle beautifully, but the right hair can also give confidence a little push in the right direction,” he said.
“When you look in the mirror and feel that your hair finally represents you, something changes. You stand a little differently, you become more comfortable, and sometimes you simply stop thinking about your hair, which is actually a wonderful sign that we’ve done our job,” he added.
He has seen that shift with clients many times. “Someone comes into the salon unsure about making a change, and after the haircut they suddenly become more expressive. They aren’t becoming a different person. They’re seeing a version of themselves that they already had, but perhaps hadn’t noticed,” he said.
He is quick to keep the claim in perspective. “Hair cannot solve everything, of course. I haven’t yet discovered the haircut that pays your taxes or fixes your Monday morning! But it can change how you feel about yourself, and that can have a surprisingly powerful effect on how you present yourself to the world,” Florian ended.