Shape Shifters

Photography: John Rawson, the Rawson Partnership

The classic, refined Brit gets a dark backstory in this new collection from Scottish hairdresser David Corbett.

Featuring strong, blunt fringes, perfectly shaped side angles and wild waves, the newest men’s collection from stylist David Corbett of David Corbett Hairdressing in Bothwell, Glasgow, U.K., perfectly conveys the idea of the impeccably styled British man who has much happening beneath the surface, with allusions to an underlying sinister, dark story. These looks, seen exclusively in this month’s American Salon, perfectly express the phrase Corbett often referred to while working on the collection: Don’t judge a book by its cover. ­—Jolene Turner

Shape Shifter - Image one
IMAGE ABOVE - For this haircut featuring a disconnected top and bottom section, David Corbett used a scissors-over-comb technique to first cut the bottom section parallel to the head shape. He then followed the natural fall of the hair to determine the fringe length before cutting a precise line at the front and sides. Once the outline was determined, he pulled the front of the hair up at a 90-degree angle to cut and blend the front and back.

Shape Shifter - Image 2

IMAGE ABOVE - Corbett cut the sides and back to the head shape, starting at the back of the top section. He determined the cutting point by releasing a horizontal section to see the natural fall of the hair. To style, Corbett towel-dried hair, then combed through a liberal amount of Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS+ Rock-Hard Ultra Strong Glue before shaping it into place.


IMAGE ABOVE - A deep triangular section is the basis for this striking fringe that was further emphasized with sides and a back that were cut with a short blade. Corbett trimmed the first two sections of the fringe section with no elevation to ensure a strong front line. He cut and rounded the remainder of the bangs to ensure a lighter internal section.


IMAGE ABOVE - Short on the sides and back, this cut features a longer top-left side that helps enhance the classic finger-wave style. After cleansing the hair, Corbett prepped it with gel, finger-waved and let it dry. He then brushed out waves to create a voluminous top section.


IMAGE ABOVE - After sectioning the hair into three segments—a square shape on the top, the middle from the sides to ears, and the back—Corbett started cutting from the back, shaping layers to reach the nape, where he point-cut hair into a square shape. Corbett also created a square shape at the front, but kept it disconnected from the rest of the hair. He cut the fringe for a strong line, and razor-cut the sides to achieve a feather-like finish.