Amélie Poulain's square is him;
Jack Sparrow's dreadlocks in
Pirates of the Caribbean
, him again;
not to mention the many celebrities who entrust her with their hair, from Nicole Kidman to Monica Bellucci, via Isabelle Huppert, Charlotte Casiraghi or Sandrine Kiberlain.
This light-eyed baggy dandy has reigned over the backstages of fashion shows, film studios and the Cannes Film Festival for several decades.
No wonder John Nollet becomes artistic director of the iconic Maison de Beauté Carita, which is waking up more beautiful than ever after two years of work.
Meeting with a fifty-something gentleman who has never taken the big head.
Read alsoThe mythical Carita beauty house is reborn in Paris
Madame Figaro -.
Did you have a good vacation ?
John Nollet-.
None, because I spent the summer on the set of Maïwenn's next film, for which I created the hairstyles.
A French period film about Jeanne du Barry with Johnny Depp as Louis XV.
How did you get into this hairdressing job?
I am very lucky to have been driven by a passion for hairdressing forever.
A true vocation that has never left me.
When my friends told me they didn't know what they wanted to do later, I thought they were lying.
I never imagined that we couldn't know… To have a passion in life, what luck!
All fashion and beauty accessories can be removed, but the hair is an adornment that cannot be taken off.
John Nollet
Full screen
John Nollet, artistic director of the Maison de Beauté Carita.
Carita
But where does this vocation come from?
I grew up in the provinces, in the north of France.
My parents ran a very small hotel-restaurant, where I was born, but I was surrounded by beautiful, elegant and feminine women who regularly went to the hairdresser.
And when they came out, they had a different attitude and way of moving.
Even their mood changed… For me, this job was close to magic.
I was already fascinated by the movements of the hair.
I was also lucky to have a friendly, balanced and loving family who always supported me.
As I was a good student at school, I think they were a little disappointed but when they saw that it made me so happy, they gave me wings.
When I was 8 years old, I asked my parents for the panoply of the professional hairdresser and I
Coiffure de Paris
where we only talked about the greats of the time, Alexandre de Paris or the Carita sisters.
These have inspired me a lot.
They created "service", hairstyles for illustrious people, signed creations for the cinema, shows, they were joyful... As a child, I had even asked to visit the famous Faubourg Saint-Honoré institute.
My grandmother wrote to them and took me to Paris.
To my great astonishment, the team agreed to receive me and welcomed me very kindly… And here I am as artistic director years later.
If not fate!
To read alsoWho are these beauty professionals who sublimate the stars on the red carpet?
But not everyone does their hair to the most beautiful women in the world...
I just followed my instincts and my dreams.
Every stage of my life has been a joyful progression.
The hardest part was saying no.
It is in my refusals that things are constructed.
And I don't regret anything.
I first worked for dance, then from dance I naturally moved on to cinema, cinema led me to actresses, fashion, advertising… Over the years, I created my Hair Service Room, first at 32, Montorgueil in the Nuxe spa in Paris, then in luxury hotels such as the Park Hyatt in Paris or Cheval Blanc in Courchevel.
I traveled around the world with Louis Vuitton cabin trunks then, for four years, I created my project, Studio Forty One in an old abandoned textile factory.
VS'
Read alsoJohn Nollet: "This place is a summary of my life"
Among the actresses, you seem very close to Monica Bellucci.
We met in 1995 on the set of
L'Appartement
by Gilles Mimouni.
Recognized model, she began as an actress.
It is the first which, thereafter, booked me and imposed on turnings in Italy.
When I was young, it seemed incredible to me that women would send their hairdressers on a plane.
And when it happened to me, thanks to Monica, I couldn't believe it.
She helped me a lot in raising awareness and gaining confidence.
I can never thank her enough.
With the actresses, I also understood the true power of hair.
Public figures have so many events where they are scrutinized and photographed from head to toe.
It takes a hell of a lot of confidence, assurance and kindness to cope.
Monica Bellucci, the Cover Story
In images, in pictures
See the slideshow06 photos
See the slideshow06 photos
How did the Carita adventure come about
?
It was three years ago.
I didn't think about it at all.
I was in my personal momentum, and satisfied on the hairstyle side.
I didn't hesitate, but on the condition that they offer me the overall artistic direction because I've always had this vision of total beauty with exceptional service.
A few years earlier, I had written and drawn my ideal of a “House of Beauty”.
Just for me.
And it was already a building.
I had thought of everything including the protocol as in a palace where nothing is a problem and everything is a solution.
The new Maison de Beauté Carita must exude kindness, sympathy and freshness, but the fundamentals must also be well established.
I also wanted a place that lives.
You can arrive in the morning, do your color, have lunch,
make high-performance skincare.
There are boxes for those who have a dinner, an event.
They can just arrive, change, prepare.
Read alsoJohn Nollet: "My luxury? Live the life I dreamed of"
A bit like in the heyday then...
The Carita sisters were visionaries who were already talking about global beauty, instrumental cosmetics, detox and “skin aura”.
They created Catherine Deneuve's blonde hair, Jean Seberg's short haircut, Françoise Hardy's long hair bangs, Mireille Mathieu's bob... For my part, I want to permanently bring back this wind of modernity, to create collections, to put the hair back at the center of the game. It's up to me and my team to imagine new ideas, new volumes, to create trends... And dreams.
I want to be the dream maker.
With a very good cut, you are already saved, even if you have bad hair
John Nollet
With your long hair tied in a ponytail or a bun, you have a very recognizable look… How do you take care of your own image?
Baggy pants are very practical in my profession, because of the pockets.
I always wear a jacket, a certain form of elegance that structures the rest, more nonchalant.
But my favorite uniform is the tuxedo, which is almost work clothes.
As for sport, I have sessions three times a week with a coach: cardio, stretching, we vary the pleasures.
When it comes to food, I've always liked eating healthy.
I'm not vegan but I've drastically reduced my meat consumption.
My little stone in the building...
His essential advice
Respect the nature of your hair and work around it.
There are a thousand things to do with straight or curly hair.
You have to lighten your life.
Nature is not so badly made.
And then the hair grows back.
Do not hesitate to have fun with it.
The cut is a form of sculpture that must respect the volumes of the head and the face, from the front as well as from the side.
Personally, I cut dry but every road leads to Rome.
Full screen
John Nollet, artistic director of the Maison de Beauté Carita.
Carita
What if John was...
An animal: "Probably a bird to be able to fly and move very easily"
A place: “Paris or on a boat to be on the move, to constantly discover new horizons.
I love the elements, the wind in my hair, travelling”
A drink: “Laurent-Perrier rosé champagne”
An art: “I am obsessed with light, the work of James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson, Caravaggio… In cinema, the work of cinematographers fascinates me”
A music: "The samba"
A film: "
The Piano Lesson
of Jane Campion"
A motto: “Find the means rather than the excuses”
