Michael Boadi
[edit] His Art
Born in London, in 1969, Michael Boadi knew from a very young age that he had a passion for hairstyling. After finishing school he began teaching himself how to cut and style hair and soon became one of the world's leading hairstylists, despite never undertaking any formal studies in the field. A meeting with famed photographer Nick Knight, a regular contributor to fashion bible I-D Magazine, changed his life forever: in 1994, Michael got his first big break doing hair with Nick on a photo shoot for Vogue.
You might not recognise Michael Boadi’s name, but you’ve almost certainly seen his work. Boadi has a background in high-fashion hair – names like Chanel, Gucci, Etro and Missoni litter his CV, and he’s worked his magic on the iconic scalps of Kate Moss, Madonna, and Jennifer Lopez.
Anyone familiar with Michael’s work can attest to his ability to transform a woman. He has styled some of the world’s most beautiful and iconic women.
Creator of Boadicea the Victorious is Michael’s first perfume line. Surprisingly, he’s had no formal training in either hair or fragrance, but this collection of curiously voluptuous, rounded perfumes is full of warmth and quality, and has a thread of personality linking each fragrance. This is a luxe range, with only high-concentration, pure parfum available, all extravagantly packaged in black tissue, lead crystal, lead-free pewter and silver. Boadi calls the vessel designs, heavily engraved with knotwork on both sides, ‘Year 3000 Celtic’. The line, he tells me, is inspired by the very feminine strength of Boadicea, as well as the ideas of Britishness she embodies – all the fragrances, candles and containers are made in Britain.
From this first shoot, Michael established himself in the elite club of stylists with leading photographers and models. He has done hair for numerous fashion shows and advertising campaigns including Gucci, Missoni, Karl Lagarfeld and Chanel, been in the pages of American Vogue, British Vogue, W magazine, Pop, worked with some of the world's most famous photographers such as Steven Klein, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot, Mario Testino, the legendary Burt Stern and collaborated with Peter Beard on a series of photographs for ID Magazine that have come to be considered iconic images.
Having styled some of the world's most beautiful celebrities, including Kate Moss and David Beckham, Michael Boadi has secured his place among the world's leading hairstylists on the cutting edge of fashion. He is now designing a range of luxury fragrances drawing inspiration from some of history's most powerful women.
He has done hair for numerous fashion shows and advertising campaigns including Gucci, Missoni, Karl Lagarfeld and Chanel, been in the pages of Vogue, W magazine, worked with photographers like Steven Klein, Mert Alas, Marcus Piggot, Mario Testino, Burt Stern and collaborated with Peter Beard on a series of photographs for i-D magazine. Michael has styled some of the world’s most famous celebrities and supermodels, such as Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, David Beckham and Bjork.
Michael Boadi creator of the niche line Illuminum. He is the perfumer of all 16 editions, creator of the brand’s logo, designer of the bottles and packaging as well as the complete brand image. Above all, Michael Boadi directed an advertisement that promotes the niche line Illuminum! 36 lovely fragrances of the Illuminum collection have joined our perfume encyclopedia back in March 2011, announced as a specific collection, classified according to the four fragrant streams with four scents in each of the sub-collections (citruses, flowers, oud and musk). The approach is innovative and reduced to eight ingredients in each composition. The perfume has famously been worn and purchased by powerful iconic women eg. Rihanna
