By Lesley Kennedy
Matthew Morris
When Matthew Morris opened his eponymous Denver salon, he started with three employees. Three years later, that number has grown to 25, and he’s ready to celebrate with an annual anniversary show.
This year’s event, to be held Aug. 1 from 6-9 p.m. at Vinyl, is a complete 180 from last year’s ’80s/workout/hair metal theme, Morris says.
“My inspirations for this show are 1920s Paris, Victor/Victoria, black and white, silent movies and Siouxsie Sioux,” he says. ”Speakeasy Tiger, my new favorite obsession, will be performing a set of songs from their new album, The Public, and Craig C will be DJing everything from classic rock to house. We are using clothing from Buffalo Exchange and Gabriel, and it’ll be interesting to see with outfits ranging from $25 to $2,500.”
The event is benefit for the Brandon Center for battered women and children.
“We wanted to have an affordable show and auction items so we can pack the house and raise some good money for the center,” he says. VIP front row seats are $40, second row is $20 and standing is a suggested donation of $10.
We grilled Morris on hair trends, weird requests and keeping current. Here’s what he had to say.
On growing up: My childhood was spent in Glenwood Springs, which was a great place to be a kid. We moved to Boulder when I was eight so my mother could finish her bachelor’s degree in marketing. I owe her for my marketing savvy. After finishing high school in Boulder, I moved to Denver and have been here ever since, except for a year in Amsterdam which I barely remember…
On getting into the salon biz: I was managing Alfalfa’s (now Whole Foods) in Cherry Creek when my friend Deirdre (who was then the door diva at City Spirit Nightclub and a receptionist at a then-well-known salon in Cherry Creek) asked me to answer phones at the salon. I was sick of slinging quinoa, so I said yes and the rest is history. I sucked at the phones, but was interested in makeup and eyebrow shaping. I became the go-to guy for brows in Denver. But then I hit a creative plateau and wanted to do the whole shebang. I went to night school at Emily Griffith Opportunity School to get my hairstyling license as fast as humanly possible. From there, I had a clear vision of how everything else would play out, and it’s worked great so far.
On opening his own salon: I had to open my own salon after working for other people. I knew how I wanted to do it based on things I saw go wrong and how artists were being treated. The experience has been a crash course in business, but the vision has been easy to see through and I’m proud of what we’ve done in three years time. We opened with three employees and we have 25 now. We’ve remodeled twice to accommodate more stations. At this point, I think aesthetically the salon will always be in flux, because I get bored so quickly.
On most requested hair: Right now the most requested hair style is to have just that: A hair style. It seems that people are looking for more edge and precision than in the past — something that’s a stand-out. Although that long, perfectly un-done layered and wavy look that every starlet still has is gorgeous, it’s so expected and I’m ready to move on and it seems that the fashion forward people of Denver are too.
On color trends: As far as color goes, more solid colors are happening, with slight variation. Obvious highlights are out. Colors that are closer together in tone and placed in blocks or balayage are what’s hot right now.
On crazy requests: Nothing shocks me anymore as far as requests go. I’ve been asked to dye pubic hair by clients, glue contrasting wefts of hair to models necks for Rodarte’s runway show, and even when J-Lo swiped my dryer backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards, I was unfazed.
On styling backstage at New York Fashion Week: I look forward to New York Fashion Week every season to get me out from behind the chair and fuel my creativity. My favorites are Rodarte, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Alexander Wang. They always want interesting hair and makeup and don’t play it safe, which is unusual for New York designers.
On finding inspiration: Right now things that are inspiring me are from everyday life. Bums on the street, children, wacky old people, nature in chaos and especially street styles (I love those kids who cut each others hair and do stuff completely out of the box).
On hair trends: The trendiest style for summer is short and geometric, like Rihanna. I personally love it. The other popular one is the Lob, a medium length bob that was grown out from the Posh that everyone got.
On up and coming trends: For fall, it’s up and away from the face. Weather it’s messy, sleek, curly, straight, whatever, its off the face and put up. The emphasis is on the face and makeup.
On uh-oh moments: The biggest mistake women make with their hair is overdoing it. Leave it be, let it go! Invest in a great haircut and stop fighting it.
On what’s next: Right now we are getting ready to launch a new makeup line, Matthew Morris Makeup, while I’m still perfecting my haircare formulas.
20 QUESTIONS WITH MATTHEW MORRIS
1. My go-to outfit: worn-in T-shirt, tight jeans, kick-ass cowboy boots
2. Guilty pleasure: I don’t feel guilty about anything.
3. My theme song would be: Freedom by George Michael
4. Beauty products I can’t live without: a salt and water mixture for my hair, Aveda Lip Saver, Elizabeth Arden 8-hour crème
5. I get my hair cut by: any one of my staff, I trust them all and my hair is a pain in the ass.
6. Hidden talent: I can drive 18-wheelers and weld metal.
7. Must-see TV: Golden Girls
8. Best advice my mother gave me: Ask for forgiveness, not for permission.
9. I’m now reading: Crown Molding for Idiots
10. My perfect meal: sushi with brown rice
11. My best vacation: San Jose del Cabo with my husband. There is absolutely nothing to do.
12. I wish I had more time to: sleep
13. I can’t start my day without: a pot of coffee
14. Favorite jeans: Levi’s
15: Must-have accessory: my sandalwood prayer beads and a Ganesh pendant my first assistant gave me
16. Favorite designer: It changes all the time. Right now I’m obsessed with Gareth Pugh.
17. Best bargain I’ve ever scored: a floor length YSL trench coat in Italy for 200. American.
18. Favorite movie: Clueless
19. Favorite color: Pantone #277 at 50 percent. It’s baby blue.
20. Signature scent: patchouli
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[...] top secret, but now that the video is up on Bravo’s site, we think it’s safe to say Matthew Morris of Denver’s Matthew Morris Salon is a contestant on the third season of the hair styling show [...]
So excited Matthew will be on Shear Genius. Charlie Price was robbed. He is a topnotch stylist and did Denver proud. I know Matthew will do the same. So glad they kicked off Jacelyn Smith. She was the worst. She can’t act or not act. She was so bland and lowered the energy level of the show. We will be watching.
[...] hair stylist Matthew Morris, owner of the Matthew Morris Salon and current contestant on Bravo’s “Shear [...]