At age 15, Paul Huege De Serville had a haircutting experience that inspired him to become one of Australasia’s most revered hairdressers and teachers.
The iconic Servilles Ponsonby salon is on the move from the corner of Ponsonby Road to the creative hub of Sale Street; a move that’s in keeping with Paul’s philosophy of creative innovation and a need to keep things fresh and relevant. The new Ponsonby salon at 18 Sale Street is designed to make the most of its impressive proportions while still maintaining a friendly social atmosphere.
Due to open at the end of January, it will see the entire Ponsonby salon team filling the chairs as well as some past favourites returning to the Servilles’ family. “It’s what everyone brings to the room that counts and our people bring their whole being,” says Paul. A favourite senior stylist for many years at Servilles Ponsonby, Monique Hoareau will be re-joining the Servilles’ family when the salon opens in Sale Street.
When I ask Paul to describe or define what sets Servilles apart, he explains that it is the commitment to make a positive impact on people’s lives. “I don’t mean only the staff, but also our staff’s families, our students at the Servilles Academy and, of course, our clients,” says Paul. It’s part of a determination to leave behind a legacy. “I hear statements like Steve Hansen wants to leave the All Blacks in a better place than when he arrived. I admire the All Blacks’ culture and the way they hold the team together with their values. I’ve always wanted us to be the All Blacks of the hairdressing world with the training of our hairdressers and commitment to excellence,” explains Paul.
Since it began in 1993, the Servilles Academy has produced many award winning and successful graduates, many of whom have opened salons locally and around the world. One past graduate, Aaron de May, worked on the Kardashian wedding, and is now responsible for Calvin Klein’s collection. Another, Michael Ashton, was Adele’s fulltime hairdresser and is now creative director of makeup for Marc Jacobs. “Micheal was back here last year with Adele and I got him to talk to about 200 kids and share his story. When he was at his mother’s place, he found the inspiration chart he’d done while he was at the academy, outlining what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go. He put it up and it was really lovely to see,” says Paul.
“We want to make an impact on people’s lives. When I was 15, Neville Spence wouldn’t have realised it at the time but the salon experience he gave me was so amazing that it made me want to be a hairdresser and made me want to make people feel as good as he made me feel about myself. That’s the basis for it,” says Paul. Determined to follow his passion, Paul worked for free for weeks until he convinced Neville to give him a job and so his journey began. “We [the Servilles team] all have that same commitment to make sure every time a person comes into Servilles they are to be treated like it’s their first time and they should have an amazing experience,” says Paul.
(ANDREA KAHUKIWA)