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Isidore Domnick Mendis

Should Indian hair design borrow from the West? No, says Perri, one of the best-known names in global hairstyling.

The new millennium man has arrived. If you aren't convinced, look around. That dapper executive isn't just found on the TV screen. He is for real. Well groomed, well dressed, with not a hair out of place.

And if you go by what Perri says, then the essence of a man's — or a woman's — personality is in the way the hair is styled. Considered by many as one of the best in the profession, Perri is to hairdressing what Bachchan is to Bollywood.

And if you think the simile is far-stretched, consider this: Perri styles the hair not just of the Big B but also of Sunny Deol, Akhshay Kumar, Amisha Patel, Preity Zinta, Amrita Arora, Zayed Khan, Rahul Dev and many more. "Indians have a completely different face-cut from that of westerners. So, it is no point in borrowing from the west," says Perri and adds, "The customised designs for the Indian face are stark, bold and straight."

For the master stylist a good haircut must compliment the face. "The entire personality can change with the right cut. Hairstyle is something that will remain with you all your life. So it's imperative to go to a professional who can give you the right advice," says the mane designer.

Perri is on a special mission to India. As brand ambassador of Black Berry chain of salons and spas spread across from London to Singapore he is all set to introduce global expertise in hairstyling in India. The chain is bringing in salon and spa consultancy and talent management customised for India with workshops and training modules from top professionals of the world.

"The idea is to train around 25,000 hairdressers to trigger a sea change in the way salons are managed and run in India," says Perri who first made a name for himself in Africa and then England leaving behind a long list of satisfied clients.

While still at school in Mombasa (Kenya), Parimal Patel, who would later be known as Perri, would often bunk classes and spend several hours at Kenya's best-known School of Hair Design owned by his godmother Salma Palmer. He'd keenly observe the lady cutting and styling hair of the Who's Who of the country.

Role Model

Says the 35-year-old Perri, "I was completely overwhelmed by her creativity. Salma would run her fingers through the strands of a person's hair to create magic. She was deft at everything — free hand scissor cutting, texturising, razor cutting and tapering. She is my role model and initially I picked up my skill from her."

That started his romance with hair styling. Perri went to learn the craft from two of the world's finest schools — Vidal Sasoon and HQ Hairstyling, both in London. Too impatient to fall into the drudgery of disciplined education and too intelligent to ignore what the best had to share, Perri refined his art from every source that had something to offer. Soon he was being considered a wizard.

Says actress Amisha Patel, "One seldom comes across a hair designer who reaches beyond mere style and creates his own design for a person. If you are serious about hair, just watch him work."

Perri says he has done plenty of celebrity hair but his all-time favourite is Dimple Kapadia. "She has a fantastic texture which lends itself to a variety of style variations." Though he himself has a tinted crop, Perri gives a thumbs down to synthetic colours and dyes. "Go ahead and use colours but only the extract of herbs and fruits." He also recommends once-a-week olive oil massage as it contains Vitamin-E and gives hair a rich texture.

Interestingly he has styles for every age group. For kids he recommends short hair, teenagers have a wide variety to choose from. And he has special styles even for the oldies. " Why not? Older people are becoming very conscious of their looks. So I have styles to suit their age," says Perri who also conducts workshops for professionals.

So, what's the secret of his phenomenal success? "I can't say for sure. It's probably the culmination of technique and tricks that I've picked up in the last two decades. It also has something to do with my styling philosophy — no rules, no beginnings, no ends and no limits!"

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