– Made-to-measure in Japan, with my name engraved: those scissors cost ten thousand Hong Kong dollars (more and less one thousand euros). They are beautiful, aren’t they? I’m a left hand, my free hand to cut.
Says Georges with a child’s enthusiasm for his gorgeous scissors, like a photographer presenting his lucky camera. I decide to nickname him George Scissors Hand.
Midtown, crowed business area, the appointment is in front of Mark and Spencer, with George Scissors Hand aka George Wong Peng Loy, a famous Hong Kong hair stylist and one of the owners of the select hair dressing salon, Headquaters. He works for fashion and movies, especially with Wong Kar Wai. He’s also the personal hair dresser of the filmmaker and the actor Tony Leung and many other “beautiful” people from Hong Kong and China.
– I prefer working with men, it’s easier. Nice, clean and fast. I have to hear what you want first and then suggest you something, I explain to my customers. I find inspiration in lots of magazines, on Internet and before I went to shows in Paris and London.
Now sat in a private room of his hair dressing salon for the exclusive clients:
– The beginning was very difficult, hard: you have to be the best. First you have to do good job. I did hair styling for magazines, people saw it and I started working a lot with the art director William Chang or Cheung (which is the art director of Wong Kar Wai’s movies). I liked his work. And then I’ve worked with Wong Kar Wai on lots of commercials and “In the mood for love”, “2046”.
Teenager, George’s already wanted to work in Fashion. But his father, owner of a travel agency and very fluent French speaker (born in Mauritius), said no. So in 1980, George went in Paris, learning French “à l’Alliance Française” during one year:
– I liked many beautiful pictures and I wanted to be a photographer, but the school was too expensive, I made a training period in a hair dressing salon school at Hotel Nikko for one year. I didn’t want to stay in France for my future, so for paying my flight back to Hog Kong, I worked in a Japanese restaurant for four months. Every afternoon, I cut hairs of the personnel, like a training.
– Back in Hong Kong I had to learn English hairdresser words! In 1985, I started as a junior at Headquaters and in 1997, I became one of the owners of the salon. I’d prefer working in Paris. Hong Kong I don’t like too much: too many people, but here it’s better than France to earn money!
Great success story in a city and culture where you have to be successful.
– I have no idea for future plans. I’m happy and simple. I just want to work and get back home: I’m a family man. I love my wife Nicolette and my five years old daughter Anya. And I love my job.
Thanks Georges!
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