Sam McKnight
{{Short description|British hairstylist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sam McKnight
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}
| image = Fendi store opening - Sam McKnight (13907676177) (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = McKnight in a Fendi store opening in 2014
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|05|13|df=yes}}
| birth_place = New Cumnock, Scotland
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| other_names =
| occupation = Hairstylist
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
Samuel McKnight {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (born 13 May 1955) is a hairstylist known for his work with celebrities including Princess Diana, Kate Moss and Lady Gaga, and for his collaborations with fashion houses like Chanel, Fendi, Balmain and Burberry.
Personal life
McKnight was born in New Cumnock, 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.{{cite web|title=Sam McKnight Biography|url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/sam-mcknight|website=Business of Fashion|accessdate=2 January 2017}} He moved to London in the early 1970s.
Career
On his move to London, McKnight was employed at the upmarket hair salon Molton Brown. He had his first editorial shoot with Vogue in 1977, and went on to become an independent "session stylist", specialising in high-profile editorial shoots.{{cite news|last1=Paton|first1=Elizabeth|title='Hair by Sam McKnight,' the Story of an Image Maker|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/02/fashion/fashion-sam-mcknight-hair-stylist.html|accessdate=2 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=2 November 2016}} He moved to New York in the early 1980s.
McKnight created Princess Diana's iconic short, slicked-back hairstyle for a 1990 Vogue magazine shoot and was her personal hair stylist for seven years.{{cite web|last1=Baggott|first1=Nadine|title=Hair stylist Sam McKnight reveals his favourite A-list moments|url=http://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/hair/2016103134343/sam-mcknight-reveals-favourite-a-list-moments/|website=Hello! |date=31 October 2016 |accessdate=2 January 2017}} He also worked extensively with the supermodels Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell throughout the 1990s. McKnight has contributed to more than 190 cover shoots for the various international versions of Vogue magazine alone. He styled Madonna for the cover of her album Bedtime Stories (1994) and Lady Gaga 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.{{cite web|last1=Mower|first1=Sarah|title=Inside the New "Hair by Sam McKnight" Show in London|url=http://www.vogue.com/13499293/sam-mcknight-hair-london-exhibit/|website=Vogue|date=2 November 2016 |accessdate=2 January 2017}}
McKnight was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to the fashion and beauty industries.{{London Gazette|issue=63918|supp=y|page=N22|date=31 December 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Twitter|sammcknight1}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McKnight, Sam}}