WHEN Shunji Matsuo was 17 years old, he saw an article in a magazine about Suga Yusuke, a renowned Japanese hairdresser who had styled Vogue covers and the likes of Jacqueline Onassis.
'That article changed my life,' says Matsuo. Then and there, he decided to follow in Suga Yusuke's footsteps.
Tress sense:Matsuo, who was hairdresser to such supermodels as Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, shares his experiences in his book, 'Mane Man'
While he was still a student at the Yamano Beauty School, he wrote a fervent letter expressing his admiration for his soon-to-be mentor. 'He then invited me to come to New York,' he says. 'I began to work with some very high-profile people.'
Styling the tresses of supermodels such as Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford and working with master photographer Richard Avedon soon became the norm for Matsuo. In time, he also became the personal hairstylist of Donna Karan and Christie Brinkley.
However, it wasn't all glitz and glamour. Obstacles there were in the Manhattan concrete jungle, as he couldn't speak the language and had very few friends.
His experiences in the high-octane world of New York City in the 1970s and 1980s are some of the tales told in his book, Mane Man.
Developed over a period of one-and-a-half years, Mane Man is both a telling of Matsuo's dramatic life story and a lush collection of over 100 photographs.
'I have had decades of experience in the hairstyling industry,' says Matsuo. 'I think it is important to share this experience with younger hairstylists. Many of them do not know what styles defined the '60s, '70s or even the '80s. They should know what came before. In fashion, designs from the past often become new again, and it is similar with hairstyles.'
As crucial to the book as Matsuo's interpretations of hairstyles from the past five decades are the tales from Matsuo's continent-crossing career.
In 1996, Matsuo left the West for Asia, opening a salon in Jakarta, where he was to make an unexpected exit three years later amid the political turmoil of the last days of President Suharto's tenure.
Soon after, Matsuo found both success and personal fulfilment in Singapore, where he opened two salons and is now a key figure on the fashion and entertainment scene.
'Since I came here, it seems as if doors really opened for me,' he says. 'Some of my clients have been with me for 10 years. This place is very special. It makes me feel so blessed.'
