Hair designer: Delphine Courteille

It’s been months I had that idea in mind : change hair style! The other day I was explaining my capillary desperation to Agathe, who is working for the Professional L’Oréal House. And I quickly realised that what was a problem for me was quite nothing for someone whose address book in the sector was as thick as the Bible. « It’s Delphine Courteille that you need ! »

« Uh? Delphine who? »Quick ride on the internet to discover a hair styler with an outstanding career. To sum up, Inès de Fressange, Isabelle Huppert or Gisèle Bündchen passed between her nimble fingers. The Cannes Festival, Chanel’s shows backstages, Sonia Rykiel…Anyways, she is a genius of French hair style with an exceptional know-how…

«All right. L’Oréal because I worth it.»

Getting out of the subway station Concorde to go to the haircutter is not really common. Small problem…I don’t find the hair salon! And all of a sudden, I have a revelation: “Off course ! It’s not a street-side gable kind of place !”.

« Do you imagine, having a glimpse to Isabelle Huppert with a robe and a towel on the head, through the salon window ? »

I therefore go back to the address that has been given to me, and I see the entry! A green carriage entrance opens up to a small paradise: a wooded courtyard with the hair salon, a small house ! I’m in love !!!!

Here, there is no noise, not like the emulsion we could imagine. We work in a calm place. Delphine Courteille appears in the simplest way she could to me: black pants, black top and white Adidas sneakers. Her voice is smooth and calm, transporting me out of time. There, I’m definitely out of Paris.

TFM: Delphine, how the French know-how in the sector of Hair design, stands out ?

Everything is in our simpleness, and that is why it is very difficult to define it. I would say that it’s the natural side, the falsely relaxed. In fact, behind that, there is a technic and also a will to do not operate in a too artificial way.

TFM: And all that, can’t foreigners achieve it ?

It has to be believed that it’s hard for them because I have customers coming from London! They systematically ask me the same style as Inès de la Fressange who I regularly comb. They all confide me that they don’t obtain that simplicity and this French chic which they envy us.

It’s a problem they also have in the sector of make-up. Here in France we have make up artists who are able to sublimate a face with very few make-up. Which is not the case in the United States for example ! American girls are used to add a lot of substances on their skin, but not us! And this is another thing that is a particular to France.

TFM: Do we find that simplicity in the products you use ?

Yes! For you today, I used a shampoo by the French house Opalis. In France, we are fans of smooth smells, always with subtlety. For me, it was the thyme and rosemary shampoo cream, but I have to admit it’s smell gives a very pleasant sensation of freshness !

Here we are! It’s already time to go. I really like my new short haircut. I’m conquered! You wouldn’t dare ask me a picture, would you ? Ouf….. It’s here !!!

What I liked: The out-of-time place and more than that, the custom-made aspect. There is choice from the shampoo to the haircut and I really felt an awesome know-how..

Studio 34, Delphine Courteille : 34 rue du Mont Thabor, Paris 1, www.delphinecourteille.com