Collection A W 2014-15 / Cabaret Paris Hait Grey
Charlie Le Mindu installs a new kind of cabaret, where complex heroines vacillate between night birds and mystical prophet dancers. As usual, hair – the designer’s fetish and sacred material – imposes the collection with syncopated rhythms. Once again, we explore the inspired, poetic and free aesthetics of the Haute Coiffure artist through the frescoes of a body turned upside down by optical art. A journey through the capital, fragments of an equation between déjà-vu and an old black-and-white film, criss-crossing Place de l’Etoile, the labyrinths of Père Lachaise, Porte Ternes, the buildings of La Défense and, of course, Les Invalides. Through this exercise, orgasmic scores, arithmetical volutes, Charlie Le Mindu gives Paris a new lease of life that takes away our gray memories.
So, mad hatter, hairdresser or hair stylist? No matter, this rare specimen of the hairdressing world isn’t the type to let a label stick to his head, unless it’s a deliberate fashion statement. From his grandmother’s salon to the fifth floor of Harrods in London, here’s the story of a young prodigy who has carved out a place for himself in the “cut” of the greats.
At the age of 13, our artist began his apprenticeship in a small family salon near Bordeaux. There, he learned the basic techniques of the trade, and often took up the broom, but his volcanic temperament didn’t sit well with the rural tranquility, and he soon aspired to more freedom. At the age of 15, he got into the swing of things and joined a “PUNK” hairdressing salon. We shaved everything that came into the living room, humans, animals, everything! ” The tone is set for creativity.
Increasingly attracted to the world of nightlife, he packed his bags and moved to Berlin, Europe’s capital of alternative circles. He’s only 17, speaks neither German nor English, but his passion drives him, and that’s the main thing. He scoured the chic French restaurants, underground shops and gay clubs of the German capital, offering his services to clubbers. He invented the ” Pop Up Salon ” on donation. The concept was a hit, and so were his scissor strokes. It was during this period that he met the Canadian singer PEACHES (alter ego of Chilly Gonzales), whose extravagance both seduced and inspired him. He began his hair creations on her tour.
At the age of 21, bored with Berlin’s wild nights, he hit the road for London , “a city where anything is possible”. Frustrated by working only on his head, he created a collection and presented his first Haute Coiffure show at the age of 22: “Hair is like fur, it can be a very chic garment. Except we’re not hurting anyone! By the age of 25, he had become the hairstylist to many stars, including LADY GAGA, FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE, and The B-52’s. He also hosts his own hair makeover show on WebTV Konbini.
He worked on new collections, which he presented at Paris Haute Couture Week, and Harrods in London opened its fifth floor to him as his salon.
“I like to be loved or hated”.
Charlie le Mindu is always making headlines with his sensational Haute Coiffure shows, whether you like it or not, the French wigmaker’s work leaves no one indifferent. Most recently, his cabaret “PARIS HAIT GRIS”, which he just presented at the Fondation Cartier’s 30th anniversary as part of the Soirées Nomades, on June 5, 2014.
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