At the apex of the flat-ironed limp hair era, and while working on the Winter 2003 Louis Vuitton campaign, Oribe recreated Kate Moss as Marilyn Monroe. The pictures appeared in W magazine and instantly created a sensation. Fashion-sensitive hair would increasingly be waved, backcombed, brilliantine embossed and enhanced with extensions. The photos shouted "why aren't you doing this work in your salon?"

We who responded have never looked back. The demand for stylized romantic and extravagant hair grows larger (along with the hair itself) every season. We are truly in a world increasingly created by Oribe.

Oribe has been one of the most influential hairstylists for the last 30 years. In the 1980's and early 90's he traveled with an entourage, waving a curling wand over the likes of Naomi Campbell, Beverly Johnson, Christy Turlington, Heidi Klum and Linda Evangelista, whom he helped transform into fashion's reigning divas. During this period, Oribe was co-credited with inventing the concept of the supermodel.

His collaborators include photographer Bill King, the meticulous Irving Penn and Helmut Newton, who shot Cindy Crawford for American Vogue with hair that Oribe teased to infinity; and others like Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier, Annie Leibovitz, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo and Horst.

Oribe has worked with Gianni Versace, who inspired Oribe's shoulder to sleeve tattoos, and Karl Lagerfeld, who advanced rock and roll hairstyling to a cultural imperative.

Oribe has contributed to just about every major magazine and worked on just about every major fashion show. In the last year alone his editorial and campaign work has been seen on the covers and pages of Vogue, Elle, Allure, W, V and Pop.

Oribe is the only hairstylist to have a permanent exhibit at The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, for which he created over 100 wigs portraying 500 years of hair fashion.

Oribe continues to set new standards in his craft and inspire a new generation of ambitious designers. Recently the 2008 Vuitton campaign featured glamorous beauties ensconced in Oribie's current take on party hair, and cast along side bemouthe muscle cars.

Oribe's career continues to grow, because, like all the greats from Sassoon to Fekkai, he loves what he does.

"Oribe did for hairdressing what Arnold Schwarzenegger did for bodybuilding," said Brad Johns, the creative director of the Avon Salon & Spa in New York, and a former protégé. "He took it out of commonness, made it respectable, an art. In his hands it wasn't hair, it was sculpture."

It is said that Vidal and Trevor brought hairdressing to the level of fine art, and Oribe showed us what to do when we arrived. For that all hairdressers owe Oribe a large order of gratitude.

Visit Oribe at http://www.oribe.com/

Edward Paul - Capelli d-Oro©2009

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