„A Hairstyle Is a Made-to-Measure Creation“

Panos Papandrianos makes supermodels like Gigi Hadid, Joan Smalls, and Stella Maxwell look incredible. The Greek-born stylist is one of New York’s most sought-after hairdressers. He himself goes bald on top.

Hair is your profession – but you don’t have any on your head.

No, but I have plenty on my face. You need balance.

How do you take care of a bald head?

I shave my head in the shower with a safety razor, and I use my fingers to feel where I still need to go over it. I can do it blind. Afterwards I moisturize the skin with a good sunscreen.

And what about your eyebrows? They look very well groomed.

Really? You should tell my parents that! I don’t do anything to my eyebrows — I just got lucky.

On your Instagram profile, we often see you wearing wigs. What’s behind that?

My wigs are meant to show people that I don’t take myself too seriously — but I take my work very seriously. And it’s a fun way to showcase my skills.

Why do people confide so many personal things to their hairdresser?

A haircut is a custom-made piece. To figure out what suits a person and their lifestyle, I first have to find out something about them. And I think that someone who trusts me with their hair usually finds it easy to share a few personal details too.

You grew up in Greece, spent many years in London, and moved to New York three years ago. What’s special about New York hair?

That there are so many different kinds. People from all over the world meet here, each bringing their own style and traditions. Especially how Black New Yorkers work with their hair — from braids and twists to locs, wigs, and Afros — is incredibly inspiring to me.

This interview was first published in the printed edition of 30 Grad in autumn 2020.