UN/CUT: Pascal van Loenhout

Growing up a hairdressing heir in his mother’s prominent salon in the town of Eeklo, Belgium, but also being influenced by hardcore and punk, Pascal started creating his own idiosyncratic style as a teenager and pushed back against the prevalent 80s prim-and-permed style being instructed at Belgian hairdressing schools. As a budding professional, Pascal van Loenhout was introduced to the creed of British hair-cutting dominating the London scene and became instantly transfixed and determined to master these radical skills. He took a chance, dropped everything and moved to the UK capital to begin his meteoric ascent. After 10 years at the absolute forefront of British hairdressing and working alongside some of the biggest names in the business, Pascal decided to return to Belgium and open his own salon in 2007: Pascal van Loenhout Antwerp. His pace-setting trademark “unhairdressy” cuts, including the do’s he designed at the request of famed milliner Stephen Jones, were first captured in a book published in 2011. Globally revered hair stylist Kevin Murphy – the inventor of ‘beach wave’ style and founder of the namesake brand – has worked closely with Pascal van Loenhout for years. He appointed Pascal to the position of ‘KEVIN.MURPHY global design director’ in 2014, a position Pascal continues to hold, and has this to say about Pascal’s unique talent.