From Knives ... To Scissors
The Age
Saturday September 20, 2008
Kevin Murphy began his working life as a butcher. Back then, he could not have imagined where his career turn to hairdressing might lead: he became a stylist for Hollywood A-listers including Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, Selma Blair, Monica Bellucci, Heidi Klum and the Minogue sisters.
NOT satisfied with that, in 2003 he launched a range of hair-styling products that he says are now sold in 500 stores throughout Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Hong Kong and Scandinavia.So how and why didMr Murphy, who left Brighton High School after doing year11 in 1978, take up butcher knives, swap them for hairdressing scissors and later develop a range of hair products?He explains: "I only worked as a butcher for a very short time. I had just left school and it was smack in the middle of the 1979 recession."My mum got me the job because she thought if I was going to have a trade it should be with our local butcher - but I quit fairly soon after witnessing a cruel initiation ceremony for someone else. It was the '70s ..."I hung up my butcher knives and, shortly after, my parents and I moved to Queensland in search of greener pastures."Mr Murphy's greener pastures became hairdressing."I started hairdressing in Brisbane but only lasted five months as it was too hot.At the time, my personal style was a bit punky and alternative, so I didn't enjoy the sun too much. I was too busy being sullen and pale."After a while I went back to Melbourne, where I lived until 1984 - part of the time with about 75 of my closest friends in a two-bedroom apartment in Prahran."I continued work as a hairdresser in my home town until 1984, moved to Sydney until 1986 and then moved back and forth between the two cities."In between times, Mr Murphy continued his training at the famous Vidal Sassoon salon in London, gearing up for a career as an international freelance hair stylist whose work would be featured in films, television, videos, fashion magazines and countless fashion parades.The place to develop that career was Los Angeles."I was a stylist to the stars the day after I arrived in LA in 1998. My original plan was a five-day holiday at my friend's house in West Hollywood, but I ended up staying for years," Mr Murphy says."My LA agent asked me to stay on and do some work; Iagreed, thinking it was not possible. But within two days I was doing Selma Blair's hair and then I was booked in to do Enrique Iglesias."They love Australian hairdressers there because our training is so good and we work hard. And the accent works wonders."You get caught up in this tornado because it all happens so quickly and you are not really in control of your destiny."If you have the good sense to ride with it and bring some humility, talent and a level of clear thinking, a life contrary to what you are used to can unfold in a matter of days."Mr Murphy moved to New York in 2000 and continuedhair-styling work while keeping a close watch on the growing market for quality hair-styling products.Back in Australia two years later, he began developing a line of hair-styling products which he launched in 2003 under the KEVIN.MURPHY brand. He is now developing a range of styling tools, an online store and two training schools.It's all a long way from the butcher's shop, which he describes as "an interesting memory". -- DAVID WILSON
© 2008 The Age
