Celebrity Hair Stylist Earl Simms Interview On Sienna Miller, Victoria Beckham & More // Wendy Rowe

I can't believe we managed to get a coffee review. You'Ve been all over the world, a coffee with me, miss Wendy you're, the one is busy honey. I know I'm busy now I don't know maybe two months. It feels like two years. Yes, I had a gorgeous quiet Christmas. Oh, but we've been doing what you've been up to so cagey about what you tell us. No, no, I'm not Katie. I'Ve been really busy with lovely people like Sienna Miller yeah, our best friend al gorgeous, lady yeah, he's done. Some bizarre covers now Carey Mulligan, all right. Another one he's been working with Harper's Bazaar, Emilia Clarke for the US Harper's Bazaar. Oh just a few covers or famous people. Well, you know I mean it's pretty make shakin amazing I mean it's just like they are now seems. I don't know anybody go alone. Yeah, so we've been doing Victoria. You know the the the actress that plays Victoria cuz. I couldn't even remember a name Jenna, calm and Wendy should know, because I met so many times. She'S lovely gorgeous work with her in New York for four days love her VB. As we know her. Yes, I'm going to have a little meeting with her, not actually doing her. Just you know little powwow, it's nice yeah, no she's, fun, she's good to work with I like working with her she's, a big fun. I can't we're gon na go back to my office. We'Re right in for drink your coffee. This guy feels so rushy, I'm enjoying my gorgeous coffee. Let'S go come on so welcome else in hi Wendy we met, I mean he so always knows how long I don't keep count. That'S maybe this woman thing get yes. 22 years ago we met on a job with Shirley Manson, I think from garbage right. That'S right, shirley manson from garbage. You know i didn't want to have that Polaroid today and i searched everywhere, but I couldn't find it. We had nobody at the time. Did we we were paupers because we've been doing stuff for free for years, cuz? Obviously, that's what you do when you first start. I mean she. She said she made it. Look like Rachel from friends. Oh, oh, that's not how it started. Yeah i blow-dried the head dead straight pin strange she's got like curly hair right, then we went outside and it started to drizzle so that blow-dry straight of rock and roll in Oh Rachel from you Rachel phrase. That'S what happened yeah, so Justin Lee! I did have a Polaroid that, but I couldn't find it then then we decided to have a dinner that I love sure are I mean thinking back. Wasn'T that fabulous, but it was for us at the time for sure and we had a meal there and it came to the bureau - and this is how long ago it was, it was 12 pound each and that was quite expensive for us at the time. I was a lot of money yeah, and so we got our checkbooks out because that's what you've done then checkbooks guys. You know what they are and I remember I couldn't spell 12 because I'm Dyslexic and obviously I didn't know how to kind of get round that so in the end, I just thought: oh, you know what I'm just gon na ask go and I went oh you Know like kind of off the car? No, you don't know how to smell 12, because I'm Dyslexic tuned - and I said I'm just thinking he said undies sexy - I would pray fly so just shall we make it 13 yeah cuz. We can both spell that yeah. That was what about that's the first time we met since then, we've been on loads of trips around the world, we've been to Jamaica, we've been Musti, yeah we've been to Chile up mountains. Marina I mean I do have some pictures here that over my glove, I might just show you I'll scan. This was Oh back in the day doing a bit of model face in Chile, oh yeah! I do in that room. That'S when I got a Polaroid camera but she's over the thing, then well so happy a long time ago. Oh, this is when we went up a mountain Moo's. We were shooting for a fashion magazine and that's all on the lift ski lifts. How long ago is this cuz any Bruno the year 1999? This is me when we first discovered, I think, he's on the same trip man. We were on the plane, yeah he's on this plane and we had our mouths on. So obviously we were doing stuff even back then. Oh, you know Hydra hydrating, that's a young. I do have this little Polaroid, but I mean there is one one picture which I know: you're gon na hate me for I'm gon na hate you, but if we hate it we can get. This is. Why would you mind, oh my god, believe you've got. That picture I mean that's been on my pin board, obviously around as well. It'S a reference as a prize yeah model looks so yeah, we've known each other for a long time, and we've been on lots of chips. We do famous people together. Oh does much more famous people than me. What is that Wendy? Why is that is you're? So famous, maybe I'm famous, no, I mean Oh Sienna Miller and what we do see us again yeah we do have together Victoria Beckham, which we do together. I do together. I'Ve been working with a lovely, modern, goggle, social Ronan. I wish girl, lovely, lovely, lovely she's in that new movie called Lady Bird and the lovely girls from Game of Thrones. Oh I mean I don't know anybody's name so come on her Emilia Clarke, Wendy cause they drive yeah. I don't know what the name yeah uh. I mean dragon lady, I mean, I actually don't know anybody's names if anything, character, names or real names. Who else you don't forget sophie turner, but you don't do them for gamer friends? No! No! No! I do them for like editorial. I'M saying editor would mean like my fashion magazine covers, so you probably see some of those work. You recently had a couple of covers: yeah Harper's, just try them out their cover here and Harper's Bazaar UK, so on both sides of the Carey, Mulligan and but you've done Beyonce used to Beyonce yeah back in the day I work with Miss Beyonce and what she's, Like amazing, amazing amazing amazing I mean oh, I could say to you who do you like best, but that's not a very nice thing to ask a session worker, because obviously we don't have an opinion on that and we treat everybody the same. Isn'T that right? Yes, we do know gossip in don't tell too many things about anybody. You keep it under wraps whether it's the lady from the street or high-flying, celebrity yeah, so we're gon na do after this today. Today, I'm going to see no no joke. So how did you get to where you are now? Oh, my god, that's a long road! Well make it quick! Okay I'll make you well basically left school, sell yourself! So he's going to London and wait. Where was your fault and from the West Country Wiltshire? Okay, yeah, okay, so it's like ours out of London yeah, but I always had a focus to come to London. I knew I was coming to yeah, so I left school wanted to be a chef, because I thought that's what I wanted to do all right. Okay and then realized, I wanted to be a hairdresser right, because I've always played with her. I'Ve always played with, like my neighbours, hair the dolls. You know always like fixing some sort of have to sneak round to the neighbors and play with their trusty doll. Oh girls, well exactly girls. Well that sort of thing then move to London and then fell into an apprenticeship, but well actually fall into this. Well, I just tripped over and falling I mean I went down, got these things now. The Job Centre saw an advert for a junior stylist one year apprentice, and what did you do you think I want to be a hairdresser yeah. I thought I'm gon na give this a go, so I went in there. They took me, so I went to the chef thing to do it as a job. Right I mean, did you try to go to college or work? I did for a few months and then that sort of my affection, you know I get seen messy too many crazy people throwing pots and pans now like no, not us so got into the hairdressing route. But I didn't know I'd be a session hairdresser yeah. So you was just in salad yeah. I was in the salon I trained and they eventually became a stylist then worked and then in session. Well, I moved to Italy yeah. I got offered a job there, so I went there first, okay! Well, I'm the Sun. On someone offered you a job, exactly someone offered me a job in Italy, that's quite brave right! Yeah! I mean you, do speak, no, didn't speak! Italian! Just thought! You don't love that just do it pack, my bags, you don't get this opportunity, so I wear. I thought I'd try out three months. Two years later, I'm still living there in a salon yep in a salon, and then what do you feel you got from there working in the salon, Italy learning another language, yeah, learning, another language and being around another culture of people? Okay. So what was the difference between an Italian woman, an English woman? Oh well back then I mean you do have English women that high maintenance, but in Italy at that time it was all about hair that you do that hair on the Friday. It needs to last on that's right, all right salami. You need people keep on coming back, you curious, wouldn't come in. They want it blow dried me. It'S got ta stay in blow. We call that helmet hair - Oh Marsha Marsha blows, but it's great dreaming yeah, but then quite good for what we do now. What you do now brilliant because sometimes we're out in like really windy, weather and the hair has to stay. You know it's, you know. No one cares about what the environments like they're, just like the hair is moving, which it will, but obviously the Martian hair, which you're returning that and it's today, yeah served you well everything's for a purpose night yeah. So anyway, today wasn't Italy for two years and then what happened and then I started doing tests and shoots, and when I came back to London, I thought this is what I want to do you don't test and shoots in in Florence yeah. I did testing shoots influence, then I came to London sort of for dipping and dabbling with that yeah. But then I started Webb lettuce, Alan! Yes, we're back to a sound in London for a short period, maybe a year, two years, yeah and then I started meeting people in the industry right well, as in the fashion industry, exactly or in the fashion industry. That will pull me they all. Can you do the for this? Can do a shoot for that and then they she was she getting paid for this no wasn't getting paid anything. I was building my portfolio right, okay and that's how it happened, and then I literally started getting all these tears sheets from like Elle magazine again magazine the face magazine, she's, not bad, I mean oh, that was one of the main places to work, for I mean He'S still ideas, a magazine that we love and and oh yeah, you know that's how I started and I then met a few agents they weren't interested. But then, when my book got better yeah, I got taken on by a really big agent at the time and then what happened and then my career just sort of blossomed. From there I mean, but you've done a lot of music at one point, yeah I did get into a state where I was doing a lot more sort of music artists, singers. He was doing beyond say ma before Beyonce. I was doing like you know. British one yeah Hani's yeah a few members, eternal okay. You know that this is going back a long time, yeah Jamelia, as you know, that rockery one she wasn't really rappy. I mean that's. Oh miss dynamite. Yes, mr. dynamite, yeah yeah, I know, did miss dynamite. She was great yeah, so I kind of had that kind of and they dumped Beyonce yeah fell into the beyonce world. Then how did the celebrities take off um that just sort of I always was doing it, but not at the level. I'M doing it now. Right now, I've gone to a whole nother so when because only between New York and London, so when do you move to New York, Oh God? Well we lived in Paris together. Actually we actually shared an apartment in Paris together, doesn't say: you're jumping. Yes, sorry. I'Ve jumped her, I jumped a little bit yeah, we lived in Paris together and I never worked once in two years. Yeah I mean and I moved there and I like to come back to London to work. So that was worth it, but I did learn about food and drinking wine. Why? I had a great time in Paris I mean I was a bit of a mystery in power. I just didn't work there yeah. What L got the agent that I wanted and never got a job? You know what sometimes despair. You don't get what you born. I said lots of fun, yeah and then and then came back to London, yeah and then just you know, worked here doing what I was doing, but then things kind of changed here. I wasn't doing the work I was doing before and then I decided it's time to move to New York and also I mean I feel, like the pop thing had kind of dried up a bit I'd moved to New York as well. At the same time, no you a bit before me and you've been doing celebrities because a lot of celebrities live in New York and LA stuff like yeah and go to the Oscars and Golden Globes. And all of that, and and here we are today humble settings. Sw1, that's the v1 world of Wendy Wendy. So tell me a highlight of your career. A highlight of my career was when I was standing on the stage with. Oh, we on the stage right now standing on the stage with Beyonce and jay-z, while they were performing. Obviously, because I was doing her hair on the stack, no, I got her ready, yeah and then we go through. She goes to do her set. Yes uh. You know you get all you mean it was on the side of the stage like that was singing. I was doing a blow-dry side of the stage, but to be on a stage when someone yeah and my energy, the energy realizing I mean I've, got the hair stand on my arms now yeah it was beyond incredible: yeah. Okay, that's pretty amazing because of you seen her we've been talking, yeah I mean, and then we went. I went with Al and obviously I was into it and then she came down at the stage. Just we was in the gully thing, whatever they call it, and I was doing single lady single days and oh just standing there like this. Oh misery, yeah. Maybe she wives and off wishes right back and it was to own, because I know because I was happy to do my single ladies ya know. But I've been on state not on stage. Do these too much makeup, but on the side of the stage when, when there's a massive concert and the energy is nice, I can imagine what sort of performance that once you stop doing tours and stuff that you you can never have that again, it mean it's Pretty amazing and yeah, and it's that well for us he's kind of once-in-a-lifetime because we don't go singing on stage. Oh tell me, you're one funny disaster that you've had okay, I was working with a singer very big singer at the time. I thought I'd done. An amazing job with the ponytail put it on. She got on the stage there filming her yeah and at one point I looked down. I think that's, not the ponytail. Oh no! Stop! I swear. I swear to you. I was that look down. I thought. No! No! It'S not the printer anyway. Well, if were there, were the people watching this performance? No, no! No! It was a video, a video thing. So then my assistant comes in and literally picks up the poem because well she's being filmed, you couldn't see. If she knows no, she didn't notice. So how'd you get it back here available when we went for the change cuz. Sometimes we have to do stuff like that. I then made it look like I was redoing it, but it literally was on the floor. So yeah yeah me yeah funny afterwards, yeah funny. Now she did rehire me. Oh, that was okay. Then just noticed. No. She didn't to lead. It knows my assistant did