He’s often seen at SA Fashion Week, mingling with the rich and famous and on the guest list for all Jozi’s hottest events. It’s the ever-so- in-demand and unbelievably talented, hair stylist to the stars, Boyd Meilhorn. Let’s get to know him a little more, in this Menage Magazine exclusive.
Tell us about your journey as a stylist to date:
Boyd studied at the prestigious Sassoon academy in London. This is where he sharpened his scissors, developed his love for colour mixing and styling and where he started perfecting his art. He then came back to his hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa, where he started working as a junior stylist at Carlton. He worked his way up the corporate ladder, until he became the manager of Carlton’s Belair store.
From there he branched into working at Fashion Weeks across the country and this is where he became a master at creating beautiful looks, quickly. To date, Boyd is still one of the quickest stylists we’ve seen in action, and we love him for it.
Boyd received his masters for colour, and then started working at Hyde Park corner where he assisted the models with styling, for big, fashion houses, such as the launch of the Prada store, and Louis Vuitton to name a few. Boyd then became the head of department for the hair at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. He also joined the Davines artistic team. Boyd has been featured in glossy magazines such Marie-Claire and Sarie, and he participates in trend forecasting with his main squeeze Jillian Grogor from Zebra Squared. He then moved to Carbon in Hyde Park, where he helped launch their revolutionary outdoor blow dry bar. Before coming back to where it all started, Carlton.
Boyd is passionate about women and education; his goal is to change perceptions around hairdressing. This is an artform for creatives, it’s not a mindless job as people often perceive it to be.
What three colour trends can we expect to see in SS2021/22?
Ok, so that 70’s / 90’s bleached, peroxided blonde look is back. Everyone wants to be their blondest blonde; they want their hair to be white! Well on the top at-least, they’re happy to have a butter undertone. The 70’s shag seems to be back, as well as the famous 90’s ‘The Rachel’, big blow-dries, layers, that’s the vibe that women are gravitating towards in 2021 / 2022.
With men, we are seeing them coming in with longer hair. They’re wanting balayage, and a super groomed look. Blow dries are in, for both genders.
Brunettes are colour layering and multi-colour mixing. They want to have multiple shades of brunette, on one head of hair. People want a bespoke colour, that’s been made just for them.
What product are you currently loving and why?
Heart of glass intense treatment is a definite love right now. This treatment is great for Summer, as we are spending more time in the sun, sea, and chlorine pools. So, we need to make sure we add moisture back into the hair, so that it doesn’t dry out.
This treatment helps to prevent hair fibre breakage, it also nourishes and tames the hair. This product’s packaging is made with post-consumer recycled plastic. This formulation is silicone-free, uses more than 87% natural origin ingredients and is more than 89% biodegradable.
What are the top three things that you love about Carlton?
Boyd loves so many things about being back at Carlton. The location is key, as being in the heart of Hyde Park, Sandton means he can still make it to his celebrity events, even after a long day at the office. It’s also where all the who’s who of the Jozi zoo come to for lunches, shopping and more.
The products Carlton uses are inspiring as the Davines range is both high quality, and sustainable. Then finally, the support that Carlton gives their stylists is unmatched, yet you still have the creative freedom to do what you love.
Random question: what do you think about the conditioner, shampoo, conditioner trend?
Boyd really doesn’t like this trend. Chemically, it doesn’t make sense. Shampoo opens the cuticles to allow the conditioner to penetrate the cuticle. So, adding conditioner to the hair first, is just adding another layer to the process and this process can dry the scalp.
