“We’re seeing a paradigm in hair color. The younger generation is more about standing out than blending in.”
By Juno Kelly.
Hair stylist Pål Berdahl always wanted to be an artist, but aged eighteen and in need of money, his mother suggested he train as a hairdresser, a skill she promised would give him the freedom and stability to make money, “no matter where or when.” She wasn’t wrong. Over a decade on and Berdahl has merged his creative flair with the practical skill and is on speed dial for some of the world’s top designers as well as magazines Perfect, The Face, Document Journal, and myriad international Vogues.
But his story isn’t one of immediate success. Below, Berdhal opens up about how he went from listening in on a blow-dry course as a nascent hairdresser sweeping the salon floor to styling hair for fashion shows and working with vaunted fashion photographers like Jurgen Teller and Sølve Sundsbø.
Juno Kelly: How did your interest in hair styling come about?
Pål Berdahl: I started at the hairdressing academy up in Northern Norway. I quickly fell in love and became obsessed with the craft and the history behind it. I would go every evening after school and train in a local salon, blow dries in particular. At the time, a mentor of mine, Gary Baker, flew in from London to hold a blow dry course for a big salon chain. Gary had grown up blow-drying hair in Mayfair through the 70s, 80s, and 90s. He said you would have to do 15min blow dries back to back for 12h. I was lucky enough to see it because I would sweep the floor at the salon.
I’ve never seen anyone do a blow-dry like Gary since. And I’ve seen them all. It looked more like a glass smith, the way he transformed dry frizzy hair into glass-like coils. It gave me goosebumps.
JK: What moment would you pinpoint as your ‘big break’? How did it feel?
PB: My whole career, I’ve kept pushing myself to get better and learn new things. When I started working on shows in 2016, when I was traveling, I discovered what we hairdressers call “session work,” it felt like a break away from salon life. I discovered this whole new universe full of art, music, travel, and culture—no more groundhog day. Every day was a new location. I got to see the world. That was my break.
JK: How do you go about creating your ‘custom wigs’?
PB: It depends on what I’m making and who’s wearing it. I normally purchase lace pieces and hair wefts from retailers. Then I sew it together, modify, cut, color, and shape it. Other times I find old wigs and, cut them up, play around with different textures and techniques.
JK: How did you develop the concept behind the hair for your Mission shoot with Sølve Sundsbø?
PB: The hair needed to feel organic to go with the surroundings. I wanted the texture to almost blend in with the scenery. The shoot proved challenging because it was shot on a 3-dimensional camera. We had to hide behind the trees when the pictures were being shot.
JK: What shoot, from throughout your career, do you look back at with the most pride?
PB: Working with legends such as Sølve Sundsbø and Juergen Teller has certainly made a huge impact, almost surreal. I feel very grateful to have had these experiences.
JK: How can the hair industry work on being more sustainable?
PB: Using eco-friendly products like Evo, Aveda, and Davines, or high-quality products made from smaller local brands, being mindful of your water and energy use, buying high-quality tools that last for decades, using less plastic, and being diligent about recycling.
JK: How would you define hair’s transformational power?
PB: Along with clothes, hair sets the tone for your character. The state of it tells a story of what you did this morning. Small tweaks can make all the difference. It sets the mood for whatever you want to communicate to the world. Sharp or messy, it will resonate with your state of mind.
JK: When you’re on set with a makeup artist, stylist, and photographer, how do you align your visions?
PB: Normally, we communicate in advance through mood boards and references. On the day, we’ll chat in the morning and decide what to do. It all really comes together when the model is on set. At that point, you might have to make changes on the spot. That is when the magic happens, and you have to use your intuition to give it life and character.
JK: Glance into your crystal ball. What’s the next big hair trend?
PB: I think we’re seeing a paradigm in hair color. A lot more people are into altering and playing around with color. Loads of contrasts and peroxide. Moving away from natural tones and balayage into creative and playful combinations. People are also using products a lot more now to create fiercer and stronger looks. The younger generation is more about standing out than blending in.
Images courtesy Päl Berdahl
