A day in the life of Matt Thai Van Lanh
Photos Victoria Paterno
Words Anthony Vincent
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The ‘Living Room’ hairstylist tells us about dry cuts, double shampoo and styling wax.
We asked DJ Gabriel Personnaz about his grooming routine, he told us that he only trusts Matt with his hair: "In fact, it's like having a coffee with a good friend, rather than getting a haircut!" That's the very philosophy held by the hairdresser of the aptly named ‘Living Room’, a salon designed as a real living space. The hair salon at the Bastille is full of character and works of art and resembles Matt Thai Van Lanh's personal flat, which is also located in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. With summer just around the corner, the sunglasses-clad artist talks to us about dry cuts, double shampoo and styling wax.
Can you tell me about yourself?
My name is Matt, and I am a hairdresser in Paris. I have had my own ‘Living Room’ salon, located in the Bastille area of Paris, for 14 years now.
Did you always want to be a hairdresser?
When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a photographer. I have been cutting my own hair since I was 12, and little by little I realised how artistic hairdressing could be. When I was 17, I worked as an apprentice to Michel Brosseau, a professional dry cutter.
What is dry cutting?
It is a technique used on dry hair, rather than damp hair, which tends to be smoother due to the weight of the water. The dry cutting technique allows us to better understand how the hair naturally falls into place, whether it curls or not, the direction of growth, where the cowlicks are, etc. I mainly use scissors to sculpt the hair, in anticipation of how the cut will evolve, and to give the impression of greater thickness, if necessary.
Does dry cutting require more skills than cutting wet hair?
It is easier to cut wet hair, but a lot less fun, because the hair becomes flat, and the technique used is always the same. However, there may be unpleasant surprises when styling wet hair if you haven't properly anticipated the cowlicks or how the customer’s hair naturally falls which may result in the customer having difficulties recreating the hairstyle. With dry cutting, you work with the nature of the hair, so you have to stay extremely focused. Like a martial art, it requires patience and discipline to master each step. In fact, I find it quite relaxing, t's a bit like yoga for me.
Did you choose to open your own salon so that you could showcase this technique?
It's true that this technique is rarely used in Paris. I have a lot of clients who come to me because they can't find hairdressers who know how to dry cut. I founded ‘Living Room’ because I felt that Paris didn’t have salons that made you feel truly at home. After completing my apprenticeship, I worked in London for 6 years. There I discovered really cool and fun salons with a great deal of character, where the hairdressers play their own music, for example. That's why I opened ‘Living Room’ in the Bastille neighbourhood, which is quite a young and dynamic area that reminds me of Covent Garden, where I used to work. I love this district so much that I am working with optician Milan Lunetier to promote it. I am extremely involved in this promotional project, which is called "Bastille Village”, and aims to develop a community within the neighbourhood.
Do you always work alone in the salon?
I occasionally take on an apprentice because I really like to pass on my knowledge of hairdressing, especially the dry cutting technique. Otherwise, yes, I take care of the salon’s administration and management as well as all aspects of hairdressing. I can't afford to waste time, so I'm very focused and don’t tend to chat much, which many customers appreciate. I even have some who come in during their lunch break. It goes quite quickly as I don't shampoo or add colour to my customers’ hair. I spend 20 to 30 minutes per person, cutting an average of between 15 to 20 people’s hair daily. That's a long way from my all-time record of cutting 57 customers’ hair in one day in London (laughs).
Is there a difference in the way the English and French cut and style hair?
The English tend to express themselves much more freely in both their lifestyle and hairstyle. They don’t worry about being judged when they dye or bleach their hair. In France, we are still very conventional.
Since opening your salon, have you noticed a change in the way men care for their hair?
Fifteen years ago, men used to use a lot of gel. Today, they have switched to styling wax, which is a good thing! Gel tends to dry out the hair as it contains a certain amount of alcohol. Even on television, you don't see too many commercials for gel anymore. Nowadays, clay is added to styling wax for a lighter finish, like Horace Wax Pomade. Even though I don't use styling products on my hair, I really like them because they don’t leave hair looking or feeling greasy.
What is your morning routine?
I wake up at 8am and immediately drink a glass of water. I then put on some music and take a shower using Peppermint & Tea Tree shower gel. Its vitalizing freshness invigorates me and doesn't irritate my skin. I also wash my hair daily with Shampoo for Normal to Oily Hair. I shampoo my hair twice, first to remove the majority of impurities, and then to thoroughly cleanse and add shine to my hair, as the lather tends to be more generous during the second shampoo. From time to time, I use the Horace conditioner but this is more for pleasure than necessity , given the length of my hair (laughs). Once or twice a week, I like to exfoliate my face with Gentle Face Scrub, which contains a few, ultra gentle exfoliating particles. It’s quite rare!
And after your shower?
After washing my face with the Purifying Face Cleanser, I apply the Mattifying Face Moisturiser, which is very moisturising comes in a large tube. I moisturise my body with Trixera Nutri-fluid lotion by Avène, then I get dressed. In the evening, I prefer to use Baudelaire Body Lotion by Byredo, and in the summer a Nuxe or Leonor Greyl dry oil. Before going to the salon, I eat breakfast at the Café des Anges that sells pastries from the French Japanese Nanan pastry shop, which I love! Then I work at the salon from 10am to 7pm, and as soon as I close, I stop talking about hair. I love my job, but you have to know how to step back. And, in fact, none of my friends work in the industry.
Do you play sports to help you disconnect from your daily life?
Once or twice a week, I do Thai boxing at La Belle Équipe. There's a real team spirit there, which reminds me of the suburbs where I grew up
