WHO'S THAT GIRL?
HAIRSTYLIST to the stars James Brown worked on his first cover for
Vogue in 1993 – grooming the tresses of close friend and fellow Croyden-born up-and-comer
Kate Moss - and, infinite A-List shoots with the likes of Demi Moore and Katie Holmes later, he insists it's still his favourite. "I know it sounds silly, but I didn't even really know what
Vogue was at the time," he says. "I was just working in a salon; Kate was 17, only just starting out." The now-iconic photo of Moss - hair scraped back like she'd just been plucked off the street - was to become one of the defining moments for Nineties grunge. "In those days, all the models had big hair – they were so styled," he says. "I wanted Kate to look like Kate." The natural look has become Brown's signature; although he confesses to using extensions and wigs, they are always presented paradoxically to achieve an almost un-styled effect. He also has a few sneaky tricks up his sleeve – such as rubbing a balloon on hair to give it a flyaway kick. Such is his wisdom that he and Moss have together created a new hair care range (Moss helped with the scent, the packaging and the ad campaign; James did the technical stuff), called James Brown London. The 16-piece collection is wholly natural and high quality, with the majority of the collection priced at just £5.99 – all points Brown insisted on. "I've never understood why, if you want naturally beautiful hair, you'd want to put silicone and all these chemicals I've never even heard of on it," he says. "And I was adamant about the price. My sister is a nurse in Ireland and I wanted her to be able to afford something like this – it shouldn't be just for the Katie Holmes of the world." James Brown London will launch in Boots on October 1. (September 17 2007, AM)
Leisa Barnett
vogue
ABOVE: Kate Moss' first cover for
Vogue, March 1993. Photograph by Corinne Day
BELOW: Kate Moss for James Brown London