Britain's most famous hairstylist Nicky Clarke is closing his 60m hair salon after 30 years in May

Publish date: 2024-06-08

London's most famous hair-stylist Nicky Clarke is being forced to close his Mayfair salon due to the financial impact of the pandemic and the rising cost of living. Nicky, 63, started life in a London council flat and battled heroin addiction before finding stratospheric success with his hairdressing business which turned into a £60m empire.

Nicky founded the business with his then girlfriend, Lesley Clarke, 68, in the 90s turning a £20,000 loan into the juggernaut of a business, and over the years they became the favoured salon of huge names from Princess Diana and Liz Taylor, to Margaret Thatcher and David Bowie.

But on Tuesday the success story came to a crashing halt when Nicky had to tell staff "with great regret" that his flagship salon in Mayfair, opposite the Connaught Hotel, would be closing immediately, the Mail reports.

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Speaking on Tuesday about the sad closure, Nicky said: "This prestigious salon has been in Mayfair for over 30 years and has been a huge part of our lives, both personally and professionally. However, the last two years have been the toughest we have experienced, with Covid-enforced, long-term closures, rising rates and overheads making the salon no longer economically sustainable.

"This was not an easy decision to make, we have spent months exploring alternative solutions to keep the salon in business but unfortunately these have not come to fruition. All staff impacted will be paid fully and all our obligations to them fulfilled. We're incredibly grateful to the dedication and hard work of every single member of staff."

Speaking to the Mail he added: "It's heart-breaking. I'm really sad. It's something I never thought would happen, but the pandemic took its toll on us. The lack of footfall in Mayfair, the rents, the rates, no travel because we have a lot of international clients.

"Mayfair isn't a residential area any more – we couldn't even rely on passing trade. It was a joint decision. We tried very hard to keep it going and we both put our own money in. It's like losing a child. The staff are like a family."

Nicky grew up as one of seven children in an Old Kent Road council house with two bedrooms and only an outside toilet, he told the Mail: "My parents had a fairly working class work ethic and they believed in saving for the things they needed to buy.

"My father was a turbine operator at Bankside Power Station in South-East London. He left school at 14 and had one job all his life. Mum was a Greek immigrant – they met during the war when my father was stationed in Greece. She was a seamstress and earned her own money."

It was as a teenager that his interest in hairdressing began, starting off giving friends and classmates trims before styling professionally aged just 16. By 17 he had his first Vogue shoot in 1976 and soon after founded his first salon with John Frieda on Marylebone Road.

Working as John's number two they created the famous Purdy cut Nicky also met long term girlfriend Lesley through working at the salon in 1982 when she was dating singer David van Day.

Things took a dark turn in the 80s though when Nicky, embroiled in the New Romantics musical scene that dominated the time, developed a heroin addiction that nearly cost him his life. Fortunately Lesley, by then his girlfriend, gave him an ultimatum of kicking him out or calling the police if he didn't get off the drugs, prompting him to seek help.

He told the Mail in 2013: "It’s my biggest regret, and it horrifies me even now, but I have been in rehab for heroin addiction. This is the first time I’ve ever spoken about it. It was a very short period of my life and I went in with a small but regular heroin habit that I had for a year. I am sickened when I look back."

He returned to working with John Frieda after kicking addiction, until 1991 when a huge row caused him to strike-out on his own in what turned out to be a fortunate twist of fate. By then he and Lesley had two children named Harrison and Tellisa and Lesley had given up work to take care of them.

When Nicky lost his job it was Lesley who hatched a plan to set up their own salon, balancing childcare with flat out work as they founded their own salon in Mayfair with a £20,000 loan and filled it with borrowed antiques, the family giving up carpets and furniture at home to afford the business.

The salon quickly found big success though becoming one of the most desired hairdressers in the country frequented by rock and roll stars and even royalty. Nicky's hands were insured for £1m and a single cut from those hands was priced at £650.

When Nicky and Lesley split over an affair Nicky had in 1997 the pair remained close and continued working together, Lesley remaining CEO. She told the Mail: "The business was always going to carry on. It’s like a third child and you don’t abandon a child if you split up, do you? We built it from scratch with a £20,000 loan together."

In 2021 he married fashion designer Kelly Simpkin, 40, who he first met in 2010 when she was a stylist working for him. The couple now have two young children together.

Dan Wiggins

MyLondon Trending Reporter interested in TV and film, lifestyle, human interest stories, news and more.

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