Samuel McKnight (born 13 May 1955) is a hairstylist known for his work with celebrities including

Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

, Kate Moss and

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

, and for his collaborations with fashion houses like Chanel,

Fendi Fendi () is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories. Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi is known for its fur, fur accessories, and leather goods. ...

, Balmain and

Burberry Burberry is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather accessorie ...

Personal life

McKnight was born in

New Cumnock New Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It expanded during the coal-mining era from the late 18th century, and mining remained its key industry until its pits were shut in the 1960s. The town is southeast of Cumnock, and east of Ayr. ...

, Ayrshire, Scotland, into a working-class family. His father was a miner and his mother was employed by the local Co-op shop. He initially worked as a window cleaner, van driver and trainee teacher before becoming an assistant at a local hairdressers. He moved to London in the early 1970s.

Career

On his move to London, McKnight was employed at the upmarket hair salon

Molton Brown Molton Brown is a luxury British fragrance brand known for Eaux de Parfum and Toilette, as well as bath, body, hair, and home collections. Molton Brown started up in 1971 on South Molton Street, London. Since then, they have manufactured all ...

. He had his first editorial shoot with ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' in 1977, and went on to become an independent "session stylist", specialising in high-profile editorial shoots. He moved to New York in the early 1980s. McKnight created

's iconic short, slicked-back hairstyle for a 1990 ''Vogue'' magazine shoot and was her personal hair stylist for seven years. He also worked extensively with the supermodels

Linda Evangelista Linda Evangelista (; born May 10, 1965) is a Canadian fashion model. She is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential models of all time, and has been featured on over 700 magazine covers. Evangelista is primarily known for being ...

Christy Turlington Christy Nicole Turlington Burns (born January 2, 1969) is an American model and humanitarian. She represented Calvin Klein's Eternity campaign in 1989 and again in 2014, and also represents Maybelline. Turlington was named one of '' Glamour'' ...

, Kate Moss and

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...

throughout the 1990s. McKnight has contributed to more than 190 cover shoots for the various international versions of ''

'' magazine alone. He styled Madonna for the cover of her album '' Bedtime Stories'' (1994) and

for her album '' Born This Way'' (2011).

Honours and recognition

McKnight is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at both the Scottish Fashion Awards and Creative Head Awards. In November 2016, Somerset House hosted a retrospective showcasing four decades of McKnight's work. McKnight was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in the

2023 New Year Honours The 2023 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...

for services to the fashion and beauty industries.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McKnight, Sam British hairdressers 1955 births Living people People from East Ayrshire Members of the Order of the British Empire