Tim Hartley is often referred to as a true artisan - responsible for many of the iconic lines and clean styling principals that underpin slick and distinctive street hair. As Global Creative Director for Vidal Sassoon for three decades, he single-handedly advanced the hairdressing vernacular for pure hair shapes and form. Here for Hair Expo in June, culture caught up with Tim and put him under the spotlight.

culture: Tim, you are seen by many as a global living treasure - a visionary and artisan who, over many decades, has re-defined hair. But you had quite humble origins, beginning your trade as a barber. What inspired you to reach such heights?
Tim Hartley: I never dreamed that I would ever be anything more than a top stylist in the salon when I first began my career.  However, I was always very competitive in terms of trying to be the best and I think this ended up being a part of my personality.  10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, as the old saying goes.

c: Many will always think of you as the face of Sassoon's, which I guess can be a blessing and a curse. It must have been a huge step for you to branch out on your own as ‘Brand Tim Hartley'. What are some of your greatest memories from your time with Vidal and his eponymous company and what are some of your new challenges as you move into this new phase of your career?
Tim: The Sassoon experience in the beginning was a revelation because finally I was working with a team of like-minded people and became part of the fantastic world of beauty and fashion.  Incredible mentors, such as Christopher Brooker and Herta Keller were the first hairdressers to do session work for British Vogue along with Leonard and Michael John, and suddenly I was standing next to these icons. Trevor Sorbie was also part of the creative team at that time, and all of these people fuelled me to be the best.  One of my first experiences was to present a green crop at one of the Intersalon soirees and I really felt that this was the beginning of a new liberation. One day I could cut a straight line and make hair do what I wanted it to do, suddenly I was in control.  This, fused with a very hectic work and social schedule, began the most incredible rollercoaster through the 70s, 80s and 90s. One of the high spots has to be launching the Vidal Sassoon products in Japan and China with Vidal and being responsible for spending $1 million on one show.  But I think all of this pales away to becoming the head of the Sassoon system and being responsible for the collections, shows, and the shoots, which are now somewhat legendary.  This was my focus for many years and the thing that stood me in good stead was the fact that I loved to teach and enjoyed being the leader of such a notable team.

c: Tell us about your great love for art, architecture and music and how this informs your work.
Tim: As a teenager growing up in Yorkshire in the early 70s, I came across Andy Warhol's Interview magazine and became informed on the music, fashion and celebrity whirlwind. But I also learnt about contemporary artists and what was fashionable at the time; this was not a serious education - more like flirtation with the movers and shakers of the time.  This also fuelled my long-term love of glamour and the avant-garde.  At a young age I realised there was more to life than just the everyday, and I had a very strong desire to pursue that.  Music was my first passion and has been a very strong reference for me throughout my career - my love of art and architecture came much later in life, particularly at the beginning of the 90s.  The fashion for minimalism and working so closely with Vidal made me re-evaluate the concept of modernity, something that is a very strong part of my life now.  I try to refer to modernism principles in most of the things I do.  The Japanese artist Mariko Mori, and her pure world sculptures are my fave rave at the moment and I cannot be without my Hot Chip and my LCD Sound System albums on my iPod!

c: Currently, the eighties are flavouring your collections such as ‘Fierce Child'. What is it about this era that turns you on right now?
Tim: For me the 80s were the most incredible contrast between the dismal Margaret Thatcher Conservative restraint - the poor economy of that time was the opposite of what was happening in the hair, music and fashion world so you had people making their own expression of creativity through their appearance - something very special.  I see this happening a lot today. Young people are sick and tired of celebrity culture and homogenised trends and fashion - creativity is lost in the mainstream - so I see for instance new rave and the mood street fashion in the UK as being very similar to that of the 80s. There are strong parallels between the music and fashion of that time and now - if we look at the Brit model of the moment, Agyness Deyn, she looks very much like the supermodel Jenny Howarth of the 80s.  This was a similar story in the US and all over the world during that era.

c: You're based in London, which has always been a hub for cool and confident hair on the street - and lots of opportunity for experimentation with this willing public. How do you find other places such as the US, Australia, Europe and say, Japan for getting public take-up of strong and directional hair?
Tim: Today's cultural exchange is fantastic. Unfortunately though, the more sophisticated the market the less open they are for directional hair.   There tends to be a kind of anti-fashion statement that winds up with everyone looking the same in a safe kind of way. However, I do think there is a strong backlash to this and in every geography in the world there are pockets of ‘bright young things' who want to look different.  We have a responsibility as hairdressers to push the boundaries, but to make the looks wearable. On my recent trip to Japan, as long as I promised to make the girls beautiful they were totally open.

c: At a professional level, how have you seen the industry change since the 70s and what are our big challenges right now?
Tim: The big challenge right now is the stupid big blow dry; hair is seen as a mere service to many clients instead of the profession that Vidal strived to make the industry.  The clients dictating as much as they do is taking the industry back 30 years.  I see so many smart women in every walk of life with the most badly cut, coloured and out of condition hair that is blow dried into a shape - this horrifies me after so many years in our industry.

c: We are pretty excited over here in Oz that you are taking a headline role at Hair Expo in June, with both a gala show and a bespoke seminar. What can we expect to see from you and what will we take away from your events?
Tim: I like to combine what I would describe as fashionable, wearable hair with the avant garde - to me, a classic bob can sit proudly next to a very extreme look, and I believe it is important to show a wide repertoire of work.  The gala will inspire and hopefully make people want to cut some hair and of course the seminar will show them how.

c: A quick question - your hierarchy for a great hairstyle: cut; colour; texture; what comes first?
Tim: My starting point would always be to look at the natural texture of the hair, work the cut first and no great haircut is finished until the colour is done!

c: For young hairdressers in today's tough market who are seeking guidance and inspiration, what are words of advice from your own formative years that would have resonance today?
Tim: Without a doubt, the answer to this question is to seek out a great mentor, to learn the basics of the craft and to enjoy what you do - and to live that dream.