Beauty Insider: Luigi Murenu

Stylist Luigi Murenu is the man behind the cool coifs in this issue’s “The Stone Age.” When he’s not dreaming up looks for the pages of W, he serves as John Frieda’s global creative consultant and Madonna’s longtime hair guru.

What made you realize that you wanted to become a hairstylist? When I was a teenager in Sardinia, I used to love to cut bangs on my friends before we went out to the clubs. At that age, some people want to express themselves through how they look, but I opted to show my personality through other people.

What was your big break? When I did my first story for Italian Vogue with Steven Klein and stylist Joe McKenna back in the late Nineties. Soon after came shoots with Craig McDean, Richard Avedon, and all those amazing photographers. The biggest photographers wanted me, and that’s when I thought, Wow, I must have done something to attract them!

What has been the most exciting moment in your career so far? Working with Avedon for the first time. My friend James Kaliardos, a makeup artist, suggested that I do the hair on a shoot they were working on together. Avedon called me and said, “So I’m waiting for you to come to talk about the hair.”

Which decade had the best coifs? The Seventies—from Cher to Faye Dunaway, big hair to chignons, you had every kind of style.

When you walk down the street, do you want to fix everyone’s hair? It’s automatic to me. When someone has an extreme haircut and it doesn’t suit them, I notice. But there’s no judgment—I take in their personality and try to understand why they have that cut.

What do you think is the biggest mistake women make with their hair? Not taking care of it. Just using the right conditioner and styling products can make a huge difference.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a hairstylist? Being a chef is appealing. I cook extremely nice Asian-style crab cakes.

Murenu: Daniele + Iango