For many people, passions and professions are inspired by childhood experiences and the people who shaped them. Vernon François is no exception. Growing up in a Rastafarian household, hair was always a huge topic of conversation and a bonding experience for Vernon and his family. As Vernon grew up, this love and passion for hair only grew.
From an early age, Vernon was braiding anything he could find around the house, from ripped t-shirts to cleaning supplies. Today, he is proud to say that he is self-taught. However, braiding inanimate objects didn’t last very long. Vernon soon got a job in a salon where he was able to watch professionals and gain a better understanding of different hair types and textures, something he places a lot of emphasis on in his career today.
At the age of 14, Vernon was already styling professionally on London’s Oxford Street and winning awards for his unique, high-fashion looks. With such a level of talent, it did not take him very long to develop his own personal clientele list. Vernon quickly received global publicity and recognition for the unique looks he created for celebrities like Serena Williams and Willow Smith.
Alongside Vernon’s innovative looks that pop off editorial pages is his passion for making clients feel proud and confident in their natural hair. Vernon defines himself as a fierce advocate for the beauty and versatility of Afro and curly hair, and this shines in many of his most infamous looks.
Today, Vernon is surrounded by influential people who have championed him for the entirety of his career. However, his work does not stop at styling. He is also the owner of the haircare brand, VERNON FRANCOIS Haircare, an award-winning vegan and certified cruelty-free product line.
Through his dedication to promoting Leaping Bunny-certified products, his brand also reflects his personal struggles as an entrepreneur. Vernon is open about his journey with dyslexia, which inspired the design of his product packaging. The brand’s design elements are centered around ‘intuitive color coding and visual icons’ to simplify the navigation process for consumers, which has successfully set its product line apart from competitors.
Today, Vernon uses the knowledge that he has gained from all of these momentous experiences publicly, as the newest Global Ambassador for OLAPLEX. Like his other projects, Vernon plans to use this partnership to continue empowering individuals with coily, curly, wavy, or straight hair and give them tips to style with ease.
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