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The world's most expensive haircut
Date Added: 2009-08-24
Yesterday the Sunday Times reported on the world’s most expensive haircut – the Sultan of Brunei pays £15,000 to have his hair trimmed by his favourite barber, Ken Modestou. This seems totally outrageous, particularly in the midst of a huge global recession. Apparently the Sultan of Brunei flew his barber, who works at the Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, on a private cabin with Singapore Airlines on a 7,000 mile trip to the sultanate.
Ken has been working on the 63-year-old Sultan’s hair for 16 years and the £11,000 private airline suite was deemed necessary because he wanted to ensure his barber was isolated from possible swine flu among other passengers. Obviously this kind of lavish expense is only something that someone such as the Sultan of Brunei could afford, but it does beg the question - is there an elite group of people who are willing to spend thousands of pounds on haircuts?
Orlando Pita, the Manhattan-based hairdresser and a regular stylist for American Vogue, previously limited himself to fashion shows and shoots, but now the hairdresser will work on the public’s tresses for around £500 a haircut. With the element of travel involved, the figure can run into thousands. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Beverley Lateo from Italy held the previous world record when she spent £8,000 on a cut at Stuart Philips Salon in Covent Garden. The record-breaking haircut package included a champagne lunch, a head and scalp massage, a selection of personalised L’Oréal hair products and treatments, a return limousine ride from the airport, and of course, the haircutting skills of the internationally acclaimed Stuart Phillips, himself.
Obviously a rare occurrence, it is still interesting to know that some people will go to any lengths to make sure they see their trusted hairdresser. What do you think of this story? Have your say below.
