Amongst the monochrome world of corporate pinstripe suites and stern gold cufflinks, one man stands out of the crowd as a creative pariah. With disheveled hair where very strand of hair was seems to be thoughtfully positioned and a concoction of colors, textures and jewelry Moulay Yacoubi takes everything you thought was ostentatious and gaudy and turns it into style so enticing his clients trust him with their hair. And if there is one thing is Moroccan native can master it is the biggest accessory God has bestowed upon us—hair. Moulay has catered upscale celebrities and models as well as average working women, and his real talent is getting to know his clients, finding their insecurities and best asset and making sure they leave his salon with a little sparkle in their eyes. I sat down with this versatile and talented man to find out how he got where he is today.

Times Square: What brought you to the United States?

Moulay Yacoubi: My career, I came here because I was doing pretty well. I had to make a decision to choose between New York or Los Angles since that is where my career would thrive. And I choose to stay in New York because its cosmopolitan, offers me everything I want but mostly because it is so close to Europe—close to Paris for fashion week, Milan for Fashion week. It basically had many benefits

TS: What country did you like working in the most? Who is more creative and open to styling?

MY: I have worked in London, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, Bali, basically I was doing hair all over the place. I wouldn’t say there is one place in specific I really enjoy; they all have their charm. I would say, however, that only in New York do I work with all kinds of people—from celebrities to working women to your average everyday person. Hairstyling is just as much about talking to your clients and getting to know what will make them feel better as it is big outlandish creations.

TS: Who is your biggest inspiration?

MY: The most creative energy and inspiration from art come thanks to my dad. He is a very elegant European-influenced Moroccan, and while the French was occupying Morocco he adopted a love for culture and the arts. From an early age my father just opened my eyes to all forms of art and pushed me to be creative.

TS: Did you start off as a hairstylist or was your interest in other forms of art at first?

YM: Sculpting, with play dough. I always came up with something crazy by just molding certain things together. My father talked to me like I was going to be women, and ironically what helped me out the most is that I love women. They have that….its not just the hair—I mean of course it’s the best accessory—its about their movements, the way they move. They truly are muses. I want everyone to feel sexy. Also I did some modeling, honestly I was surrounded with women. And time goes by they became my main source of inspiration. Backstage I fell in love with Helen Christensen and I just went up to her and just told her.

TS: When did you first discover the art of hairstyling?

YM: In my twenties, when I was around twenty-two. I was working as a model at really high-end fashion shows, Gauthier, you name it. So I was backstage a lot, and you know its like a zoo back there. First I began casually playing with people's hair, and I especially touched some girls hair since I wanted to find a way to talk to them and woo them a bit. To my surprise my tactics to seduce pushed me to find my passion.

TS: You have been mentored by some of the best in the industry? What did you learn from Vidal Sasson?

MY: Ohh he’s just spectacular. You need the basics. You can’t go anywhere without some basic foundations. He opened my eyes.

TS: Since Sasson’s bob-cut has often been tagged as liberating women and a form of female empowerment, what style would you create to revolutionize the world?

MY: Honestly, put it this way. There is no such thing as having a new style. I see hair as architecture. I can give you asymmetrical and I can switch it up, but there are certain foundations you need to follow.  Why ruin it? Go aback to the history of makeup. Or take a look at Coco Chanel, she designed something and fashion comes back and forth to this foundation that people still respect and she is still highly esteemed. I think you should follow what is in the market, in fashion, and what people are looking for at the moment. At the end of the day we all stylists—fashionistas—we have an idea, you get inspired

TS: Tell me what you learnt from John Sagah? Why is he such a master in your eyes?

MY: The best technique I ever learned was from him, just by watching him. I always see him sort of like a painter. Like he’s making love. To the hair, to his art, and to the women. I learned how to do the dry-cut technique from him, which was priceless and an opportunity and skill I never would have obtained without the guidance from Sagah.

But really the one place I learned the most was at I stayed with him and then moved Bumble and Bumble at the hands of Michael Gordon, who actually produced the movie about Vidal Sasson, How one Man Changed the World with a Pair of Sissors. They liked me because I spoke various languages, and they really invested in me. They took me in and I start working with them, Voice and speech taught me razor technique, blow dry. An opportunity came about in 1998, when they need someone to go to France to represent Bumble and Bumble. I was initially going to go with five people, but because of budget cuts they actually handpicked me despite being the newest one. They picked me.

So I go to Paris, and I know Paris really, really well. My dream was to go hang out in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, I mean the crème de la crème. So I end up working at Colett, its very cliché and very very exclusive. They give me a kiosk inside and people come in and I cater to them. And a photographer takes a picture of me. And I kept thinking, is this happening?

Then for the fashion show, it was tough. It was hard to understand how the industry functioned, I was Moroccan my English wasn’t that good.  I had 40 models and I asked for people to help me, but they refused. I mean think about it, 40 models and just one hairstylist—it was almost impossible. Luckily I had some coworkers help me.

I did this really avant guard, hats out of hair. It was all done with paper clips and it was a very futuristic kind of look. At the press release after, they weren’t that excited about the clothes. But everyone said don’t mind the clothes, look at the hair. That’s how I thank Bumble and bumble... they opened the doors for me. And I also met my wife there, who later followed me and all my clients to my own salon.

TS: You state that you have perfected ‘style’, tell me a little about how your personal ‘style’ has evolved over the years?

MY: My personal style depends on the person. My style is a combination of all people I have learned of. I have my flare, I see you like my wife, I want you to feel like you’re the red carpet. I’m not Angelina Jolie but in my eyes you are. My clients are sexy. My philosophy is that little something, give them a little something. There is no such thing as ugly in my industry.

TS: Now, you have worked with very famous people with big personas and personalities? Do you believe a hairstyle can change a person or at the end of the day?

MY: Celebrities are like us. They have bad days, so I know how to deal with that kind of arrogance. A hairstyle cannot change a personality, so you need to realize they are no better or worse than me. Some people are great, others aren’t. Uma Thurman was by far the best celebrity client I had, I loved talking about my children and my life to her. On the other hand, people like Snooki. Well, they asked me to do her hair and I refused. I hate that style and simply refuse. If they ask me to give her a makeover, I might consider. 

TS: Does the hair wear the girl or the girl wear the hair?

MY: Depends on the women and depends on the women. If it is too much the hair definitely wears the girl. This is how you we know you. I don’t like women when they try to hard. For example, I have a client who is actually very boring. She had thin and brittle hair and wanted more volume. So I ask her how much volume do u want? She said, “a lot”. So I wonder, “Where are you doing tonight?” and she was just going home to sleep! Common, you do not need to go overboard on a simple day.

TS: What is your daily routine like?

MY: My daily routine is pretty standard. I wake up. I work out a lot and either go to kickboxing, jog or I go for a jog. I am a news junkie, so I read and then I go to work. I exfoliate, I definitely do. I am so metrosexual I cannot help it. On the other hand, for my hair? No, nothing for hair, I am the easiest, I put on a bandana and I am done.

TS: Do you like styling women or men more?

MY: I do like doing men. Its the same concept, they also have insecurities they need to be reminded “its ok if you are loosing hair’.

TS: How do you feel about hair color?

MY: I like hair color; I have a great eye for color. Color is easy. It is very easy and has to look natural, very simple. It has a beautiful dish, but eat it because of presentation. It’s natural.

TS: If it were Halloween and you were dressing in drag, what style and color would your wig be?

MY: I want to be Madonna. The new Madonna. The new Madonna with a corset, the beads, the curls. She is just such a great artist and just looks fabulous. So I would go for a blond curl wig.

Moulay Yacoubi is a stylist at Riccardo Maggiore Salon, which is an upscale salon located on 57th Street at Lexington Avenue.

For an appointment call 212-586-6482. For more information on Mr. Yacoubi visit his website www.moulaynyc.com

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