Words JENNIFER LYNN

Having traded his native Leicester for Los Angeles at the end of 2015, ahead of a life-changing stint working on Jennifer Lopez’s All I Have Las Vegas residency, Appleton has made himself at home in Hollywood. Appearing on The Kardashians, The Drew Barrymore Show and the Today Show, to name but a few of his TV credits, he has amassed a combined seven million followers across Instagram and TikTok and is now invited to sit front row at the fashion shows where he used to work backstage. Case in point: his chic nautical striped appearance at the Tommy Hilfiger show in New York this past September.

While his star has been rising, the 41-year-old father of two – his kids, son Billy and daughter Kitty-blu, frequently appear in their proud dad’s social posts – has been on a journey to get more candid online, hoping to inspire other people to achieve their dreams against the odds. So, while the hot pictures and hair tutorials are still there, you might just find yourself getting to know Appleton on a deeper level the next time he pops up on your feed.

Man About Town did just that when we caught up with Appleton ahead of Paris Fashion Week to find out about his career journey, grooming habits and top tips for anyone looking to get their best hair ever.

Hey, Chris! What are your Paris Fashion Week plans?
I actually have a show I’m keying for the first time, the Ottolinger show, near the end of the week. I used to assist at shows and it was so interesting to be backstage and to watch what happens there; I was like a sponge just absorbing information. Now, I feel privileged, because I get invited to shows [as a guest] as well. The models come out looking great and graceful, and it all looks very orchestrated and perfect, but I know behind the scenes it's chaotic and everyone is running around to make it happen. It's amazing to know what happens to put on a seven-minute show or however long it's going to be. It’s like a 360, from being backstage to sitting front row, to then going backstage in a different way. It’s important for me to evolve.

I saw a post on your Instagram recently, showing some of the early hairstyles you tried on your mum – how old were you when you first showed an interest in doing hair?
What's interesting about the whole hair concept is that I am dyslexic and I don't know that a lot of people are aware of some of the complications that can have in a regular education system. Back when I was at school, I was perceived as being stupid or lazy and I'm neither of those things. I had a very different way of learning and the first time I realised I had a talent was when I did hair.

I remember doing my mum's hair at nine years old and I realised, when she stood up and looked in the mirror, her shoulders went back and she stood a little taller. We were very poor and I tried to make her look glamorous, and she saw something different, which made me realise you can really move people with hair. It felt like a superpower to be able to touch people like that. It was so rewarding for me. It was the first time I felt like I was good at something, so I decided I was going to be the best at it. Then I got a job in a salon at age 13 and just wanted to know everything about the industry.

How did you go about making the leap from the salon to fashion shows and celebrity jobs?
I think there's a journey to everything. When you have some success, people are very quick to be like, ‘How did you become successful?’ But I don't really see that. I just see the journey and it was a slow build. I was in the salon working away and I wanted to be the best in the salon, and I got to the top price level, so then I was like, ‘What else is there?’ I saw there was this editorial world, so I wanted to learn more about that, and I'd go off to London to do these courses. I started to assist at fashion week and then I started to get more into the editorial world. I’d do magazine shoots and I went on a TV show; it was BBC’s Young Hairdresser of the Year or something like that. Everything was a leaping board.

From that I started to do celebrity. You start to meet celebrities on the shoots and I loved it. It went back to what I did with my mum when I was nine, because you get to create this alter ego or you get to create this character, whoever it needs to be. I think that's why I excelled in it, because it felt so exciting to me to be a part of that story.

Do you remember who the first celebrity was that you ever worked on?
I think it was Kate Moss, at a fashion show, and she was so sweet and down to Earth.

Was social media a catalyst for your career in the beginning or has it been more helpful as time has gone on?
I know people have a love-hate relationship with social media and I can see why, but I think people spend more time on their phones now than they do watching TV, so it's incredible to see the growth. When Instagram came out, I remember someone explaining it to me and I think I was working with a brand, and the first post I put up was doing hair for this brand. Then I got into it and I started to think, ‘Oh, this is my portfolio. I can showcase the work I'm doing.’ So everything I did, I posted, and I got a call from Jennifer Lopez's team one day and they said, ‘Are you available to do hair in Vegas for her Vegas show?’ I was still living in Leicester at the time, thinking, ‘How does someone like J-Lo know who I am?’ That’s the power of social media. When people see talent and a craft, they reach out. Social media really was life-changing to me. I don't think I'd be in America without it, because all I did was showcase my work and who I was, and it got noticed. But there was a lot of sacrifice. I had to move to America and no one was helping me do it. It was a risk I took, but obviously one I'm glad I did.

Was the Jennifer Lopez residency the deciding factor in you taking that risk?
Yeah, and I think I was just more in demand. But I actually ignored the first email. I thought maybe it was spam. Then I got another one and I was like, ‘What if I did it? What if I moved to America? What does that look like?’ I felt like there was a limit in London with celebrities. A lot of them live in Hollywood and, if I wanted to do it, I had to go where they are. So I decided to do it. I remember finishing a job on the 23rd of December and I moved on the 24th of December. I packed two bags. I left everything and I never went back. I don’t know where all my stuff went; I think my parents cleared out my old apartment, but it was now or never. I could find one million and one excuses as to why I shouldn't do this, but there was one thing inside of me telling me to do it, and I did it. I can't believe I did it. I don’t know if I'd be that risk-taking now, but I did it. I like to believe we all have a path.

You work your magic on so many amazing women, but what are your own grooming habits like?
For me, skincare has become really important. I never really realised the effects of the sun until moving to America. I had to learn the hard way, because in England it's like the sun comes out and you get in it, whereas obviously in LA it's out every day and you have to take precautions. I'm really big on drinking lots of water and staying hydrated. I try to have a generally healthy lifestyle. I think it's really important. I work out every morning, probably six days a week, not just for physical but for mental health reasons. That's my hour that I get to myself every day.

Hair-wise, it has been a journey. I simultaneously, when I moved to America, dyed my hair blonde and then it became this thing that stuck. The tall blonde guy with the dark root. Whenever I've gone back to brunette randomly for something it's never as fun. It's funny though, people literally write on my Instagram, ‘You look so much better with blonde hair.’ People are very opinionated, especially when they get to know you as a brand and get to know you in a way that they are very loyal to. Then sometimes they struggle if you change. But I would definitely say blondes have more fun. I don’t colour my hair myself, because it’s a lot of work, but I recently joined forces with Schwarzkopf to show my full process of getting blonde. People are always fascinated by how I get it so blonde or how I got Kim [Kardashian] so blonde. Condition-wise, I always use the Color Wow products to maintain the best quality, because blonde is really aggressive on the hair and you have to maintain a good foundation.

You mentioned the importance of skincare – what are some of your favourite products?
I love La Mer, especially The Moisturizing Soft Cream, because it’s really hydrating. I really like Charlotte Tilbury’s products; I worked with her on The Drew Barrymore Show and she sent me a bunch, and I love them. I love the fragrance of them. I like Kiehl’s. It feels reminiscent of when I lived in London. You find your favourites.

What about when you’re travelling, do you hit your hotel spa or is there no time?
I find it hard to sit down in one place, but I like a massage and a facial. Facials I think are really important, because they always give you that little glow and that bounce to your skin, which sometimes travel can take out of it. I try to replenish that, which is why I drink a lot of water. I know it sounds really basic, but god, it makes such a difference. I also always do a sheet mask when I’m on a flight. I love the La Mer sheet mask.

You’ve been hitting more red carpets and front rows lately. Do you have any favourite designers to wear for those big occasions?
I recently built a relationship with Thom Browne. I went to their couture show, which was fantastic, and I love their whole aesthetic. I love wearing Tommy Hilfiger or Dolce & Gabbana… Saint Laurent does some great stuff. I love a classic Tom Ford suit. It’s hard to beat a Tom Ford tuxedo. With my style, I like to keep it classic but different, and with an element of sexy to it. I’m tall, so I find that if I wear super oversized stuff on a red carpet, it looks like it's wearing me. I like to wear more of a fitted silhouette.

You touched on people being very opinionated on social media, but how do you deal with the attention when you’re out and about, now that you’re a public figure in your own right?
It’s interesting, because when I'm going to Erewhon or wherever, I forget that people might notice. Then you see people talking or looking, or taking pictures, or people will record you and it can make you feel exposed. I love laughing with my friends or going to the beach with my dog, so sometimes when someone gets a camera out, I'm like, ‘Oh you think I'm that guy online, Chris Appleton?’ It's very flattering and I'll always stop and take pictures with people and say hi, but sometimes it just makes you feel aware that you're being watched… At the end of the day, they're supportive and I think that's great.

There's a negative side to social media that I've honestly learned to laugh at. I don't ever take anything too seriously. I think maybe posting more vulnerable things, like when I was posting about my mum or when I was posting about being told I’d never do the cover of Vogue and talking about my journey, I feel a little bit more exposed. I've been trying to open up to showing more of that, so it's not just a hot picture or whatever. I started to be more vulnerable with my posts, more meaningful, more telling my story and my journey, and trying to inspire others to know that they can also achieve things against the odds. It is actually really well-received, but that makes me feel more vulnerable than posting a hot picture… It's like I’m really showing the climb and my biggest fear is, ‘Oh my God, they're going to know I'm that guy from Leicester,’ do you know what I mean? You think you have to come from a rich background or a well-to-do family. I come from Leicester, I don't come from Hollywood. It’s imposter syndrome, I guess. It's something we've all had and I like it, because I think it keeps me grounded, and keeps me incredibly grateful for every opportunity I have.

You’re a director at Color Wow and an Ambassador for Shark; how do you go about committing to these partnerships and knowing which ones are right for you?
I'm selective about what I do. I don't want to do everything. I don't want to go to the opening of an envelope. I had the opportunity to work with a bigger brand at the time when nobody really knew what Color Wow was, but I decided to go with the underdog because I've been part of the build. I've been a part of the philosophy and part of making the products, and part of its journey. It's been really fun to create that. With Shark, I was into their story and solutions, and affordability. Even on the fashion side, people want to know what top you're wearing, they want to know about your outfit, fragrance or skincare. I try to share those things, because I think there's obviously an interest in hair, but it's expanded outside of that. People want to know what you smell like, they want to know where you like to go on holiday, what hotels they should stay at. It becomes a whole 360 thing.

You mostly work with women, but for our Man About Town readers, what do you think should be the biggest consideration for a guy when choosing a new hairstyle or colour?
Guys, in my experience, are sometimes more particular than women. They're very particular about the shape. And I think guys have become much more aware of things like haircuts that suit your face shape and haircuts that suit your hair texture; they know it's good to look after your skin and look after your appearance. For me, it’s a fun process to be able to give advice in those realms. I've worked with male models, but I've also worked with regular guys, and fundamentally they have problems too. ‘My hair's getting thin, what do I do? My hairline is going, how do I fix this?’ My advice, especially for guys, is to find yourself a hair stylist you can have a good relationship with and really find what suits you and what suits your personality type. Hair can really tell a story. It's universal.

Photography by Taylor Miller
Styling by Kristin Dodson Smith