A Cut Above

The Art & Heart of Terry Scott

It’s taken me many years to appreciate how important hair is to society. Come to think about it, it was hair that introduced me to the girl who became the most significant person in my life, but that is a long story for another time.

Our radio studio is in a busy enclave of the Lifestyle Centre in Ballito. It’s the place to be for everyone who is anyone, and, as I watch the constant passing parade from behind the radio console, it is interesting to see how almost every woman that passes by our window on the world, has done something with her hair to make her feel more attractive. Many men are sporting interesting hairstyles too, but it’s the women who clearly make more effort in this arena. Some of the colours and styles are hilarious, but who am I to judge?

When it comes to professional hairstylists in this part of the world, there is one name in particular that sends shivers of excitement through the well-heeled. Terry Scott is a legend in the local hairdressing world and if you are lucky enough to get an appointment with him at his salon in La Lucia Mall, you have arrived! 

Unqualified as I am to discuss the finer points of hair and what makes it shine, when the opportunity arose for me to interview this superstar of the salon, I leapt at it. 

Terry Scott is a hairstyling legend, often referred to as the Vidal Sassoon of South Africa. Over a very long coffee I got to meet the man behind the iconic Terry Scott Hairfashion brand, and his story is fascinating.

Terry was born seventy-five years ago on the wrong side of the tracks in post-war Durban. His de-mobbed father became a bus driver, the only job that was available to him then, and by all accounts he was none too keen on his son’s flamboyant nature which was apparent from an early age. Hopelessly bored at school, he was naturally drawn to the theatre where, as a child actor, he performed in professional productions of shows like Oliver, The King and I, The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music. When he wasn’t on the stage, he was selling programmes, and he spent his first few Rand on a pair of two-tone shoes for himself and gifts for his mother who had a hairdressing a salon in Umbilo. She loved him very much and protected him as much as she could from his father’s temper. It was his mother who first taught him the secrets of the hairdressing trade and from the age of ten he was giving styling advice at the salon. He wanted to become a professional chef but without a matric, hotel school was not on the cards, so he secured a hairdressing apprenticeship at Stuttafords…

“And I told everybody that they're going to have to watch out, because I'm here to show them what hairdressing's all about. There were twelve top hairdressers from all over the world at Stuttafords and I was not scared of one of them. I was going to steal everything I could from them with my eyes, I was going to be what I wanted to be. I started in December, I was still 15. I turned 16 on December the 30th, and only then could they register me. In March the following year, there was the Natal Hairdressing Championships with categories for first year, second year and third year apprentices. So I entered all three and won all three. I won the third year apprentice’s section after four months of hairdressing. And I'm proud of that. And since then, I've achieved everything I wanted to, I've become a hairdressing icon with an international company Twin Care, the biggest distributors in the country. I've won the hairstylist of the year, I've won avantgarde stylist of the year, I've won the top colourist in the country with L'oreal colour trophy, and it continued from there because, if I was going to do something it had to be done properly and had to be done better than anybody else, there was no way anyone was able to say “well you tried, but it didn't quite happen." I just wouldn't let anything like that happen."

In 1971, at the age of 21, Terry left Durban to take on the world. He had recently married Sandra, the love of his life, and together they set off for London. He trained for six months under Vidal Sassoon, mastering the techniques that would propel him to a leading position at Harrods’ top salon. Sandra also advanced quickly, becoming manager of Barkers on Kensington High Street. Despite their success in the UK, a desire to raise a family in a warmer, more familiar environment eventually brought them back home to South Africa.

But despite his international experience, it wasn’t easy establishing himself back in South Africa. He returned to Stuttafords and worked hard, taking on extra work after hours to earn enough to start a salon of their own. 

Terry is quick to acknowledge the pivotal role that Sandra has played in their story:

"She was eight months pregnant with our son, when we came back from London, we used to leave Stuttafords at 1 o'clock, drive to Newcastle, work in my uncle's garage on a Saturday till 10 o'clock at night, then work all day Sunday, go to bed and wake at 4 o'clock in the morning to come back to Durban to save to open our first salon. And she was always with me. She's been my rock, my everything."

It wasn’t long before Terry opened his first salon in Musgrave Centre - the very first KZN hairdresser to open in the suburbs. It was a huge success, but there were bigger things to come. From Musgrave, they opened in Windermere Centre, thenThe Pavilion, then on to Gateway before finally arriving at the La Lucia Mall… and suddenly everyone wanted a piece of the magic.

Terry makes magic. A consummate showman, he directs the salon like the MC at The Kit Kat Club in Cabaret. He is not a big man, but he is larger than life with an outrageous sense of style that has become his trademark. He loves clothes and isn’t afraid to outshine everyone in the room. His shoe collection rivals that of Emelda Marcos and Iris Apfel would have totally approved of his extensive collection of eyewear. 

His personal brand remains as strong at 75 as it has ever been. But at the heart of his success lies a burning desire to make his clients feel good – about themselves and about the world they live in. Part psychologist, part father confessor and part comedian, it’s a complex relationship between hairdresser and client.

 "Hairdressers do get close and intimate and your client shares more with you than they would probably with anybody else - and I think the male hairdresser, maybe even more so than a female hairdresser. I think ladies trust us more and they know that I'm not going to go to the next client and tell her all about that last one because we don't do that. Do you know what… we can also touch! We can touch. Your wife never leaves the salon without me giving her a kiss, or a little hug."

 No one can take umbrage with Terry over a little flirtation. It’s part of what makes him so popular with his clients, some of whom have been with him for longer that would be polite to mention. And he looks after them. Many of his regulars have moved to accommodation more suited to their advanced years and Terry has literally moved with them, opening small hairdressing salons at two of the popular retirement facilities in Durban to make it easier for them to maintain their appearance, and give them something to look forward to. And when the occasion presents itself, he loves nothing more than treating someone who doesn’t have the means, to a little pampering, Making the world a better place with random acts of kindness – it’s just what he does.  

And despite the passing of the years, it’s still Showtime at Terry Scott. He remains passionate about his chosen profession. For him, it was never just a job. It has always been a way to keep caring for people. And as long as they keep coming through the door, he’ll be there, scissors in hand, ready for the next performance.

Pics: David Weeks photography

Terry Scott Hair Fashion

@terryscotthairfashion

Eyewear: Execuspecs