HE HAS been renowned as an internationally acclaimed hairdresser and entrepreneur since opening his first salon in 1979.

And in 2004 Trevor Sorbie brought his flair and talent to Brighton with the opening of his second salon – his first outside London – in Nile Street.

Bags of awards later and praise aplenty this month the hairdresser to the stars celebrates a decade since he first opened the doors of his Brighton salon to the public.

He credits his longevity in the industry to sticking to his principles – and of course the quality of his work.

He said: “I believe that the difference between one hairdresser and another, what separates anyone in any industry, is the quality of their work.

“I have never diluted the quality of my work and have always stuck to my beliefs since I started out all those years ago. This is something I instil in the staff across all of my salons and is something that will always be there.

Every client you see has to be your very best work.

“We are also well known within the hairdressing industry for our high standard of training.

“Young people want to train with us and make no mistake, it’s a hard process to go through and many don’t make it. But we pride ourselves on spotting and nurturing the talent that does emerge.”

Mr Sorbie agreed the city had been good to him over the past ten years – despite a “tough few years for business across the board” during the recession.

He said: “It’s no secret that it has been a tough few years for business across the board and Brighton is no exception to that.

“Sadly we have seen other good businesses in the city closing down in the ten years we have been trading in the city.

“I have several staff that have been with me from day one in Brighton and have become amazing hairdressers. I’m incredibly proud of each and every one of the team in Brighton and I knowthat they all share my commitment to quality.

“I chose Brighton because it’s a city I love – a place I wanted to visit and to spend time in and that is still true.”

When he is in Brighton Sorbie told The Argus he usually stays at Hotel du Vin or Drakes and loves to take a wander through The Lanes or North Laine to see the “great mix of shops, boutiques and bars.”

He added: “It has a similar feel to Covent Garden, where I opened my first salon back in 1979.

“My time in the Brighton salon is divided between working with my team on training staff and seeing my own clients – either cutting hair or working with ‘mynewhair’ clients, who have suffered medical hair loss, many because of the effects of cancer treatment.

“I set up ‘mynewhair’ as a not-forprofit organisation in June 2006 to provide advice and wig customisation and have now trained over 500 hairdressers to do the same.

"Last week we announced a partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support so that anyone going to Macmillan seeking advice on hair and wig services will be provided with the name and contact details of their local ‘mynewhair’ service.”