Mumbai: Celebrity hairstylist Florian Hurel, who has worked with the who’s who of Bollywood, including names like Deepika Padukone, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, and Anushka Sharma, among others, believes hair is far more than a style choice. It is one of the most visible expressions of who we are and how we want to be seen.
He said, “Hair is often the first thing people notice before a conversation even begins.” It carries energy, personality, confidence, and even emotion. The way someone wears their hair can reveal whether they’re bold, reserved, rebellious, elegant, or in a phase of reinvention. For me, hair has never been just cosmetic; it’s deeply connected to identity.”
He has witnessed how a hair transformation can boost one’s confidence and shared, “One transformation I’ll never forget was when a client going through a difficult personal phase decided to completely reinvent her look. It wasn’t just about cutting or coloring hair; it became symbolic of reclaiming confidence. That emotional shift is the most rewarding part of this profession.”
For him, it’s not just work but a personal moment shared between him and the client. He said, “A hairstylist spends hours with people in very personal moments. Clients talk about relationships, insecurities, ambitions, stress, and everything. Over time, you learn to read moods and personalities beyond appearances. Sometimes people don’t just come for a hairstyle; they come for reassurance, confidence, or even emotional release.”
With the growing use of filters, AI aesthetics, and copy-paste beauty trends, Florian is concerned. He said, “I do think there’s a danger in chasing perfection that isn’t real. Filters and AI-generated beauty standards are creating faces and aesthetics that often look identical. What makes someone memorable is individuality, imperfections, texture, and personality. Beauty becomes powerful when it feels authentic, not manufactured.”
And he would like people to get over the “overly artificial,” “copy-paste trends” where everyone ends up looking the same. “Beauty should celebrate uniqueness, not erase it. I think trends that completely ignore individuality never age well,” Florian said.
