Born in Switzerland, but a jetsetter by trade, Bjorn von Rotz’s career as a hairdresser and make-up artist has seen him travel the world far and wide. He’s worked with the likes of Elle, Guess, Cosmopolitan, Vivienne Westwood, Hugo Boss, GQ, Wella and Sebastian on the catwalk and for editorials. Recently we found him styling in Cape Town, and of course Grande Maison couldn’t miss an opportunity to pick Bjorn’s brains about the inspiration behind his craft. From his obsession with the Belle Epoch, Art Nouveau, and Jazz music, to his experiences slumming it as a young hairdresser in cosy rooms with his models, Bjorn holds his experiences dear to him as he cuts the day away at his new salon and school, The Circus. Without the things that made you who you are, how do ever expect to know yourself? This is just one of the questions we had to ask ourselves after speaking with Bjorn.
GM Your profession?
BvR I’m a hair & make-up artist
GM Which year were you born in?
BvR 1974
GM Where did you grow up?
BvR Central Switzerland
GM Who gave you your name? Does your name have any particular (or, special) meaning?
BvR Actually yes, my parents were watching tennis in the 70s, with Björn Borg playing. That’s how I got my name - also Björn means bear!
GM What’s your favorite music?
BvR Oh it could be anything, from Jazz to Heavy Metal. Anything is made better when it’s live. And I like to derive music from Mr. Quentin Tarantino, who has a very good taste in music, as is evident in his movies.
GM What’s the most inspiring artwork you’ve ever seen?
BvR Anything by Henry van de Velde!
GM What is your favourite number and why?
BvR The number 5. The fact is that you are halfway to ten. For me it’s important to always have goals ahead of you.
GMDo you have any heroes, heroines and icons you admire? If so who and why?
BvR Tim Burton gives me a different view on the world, thanks to his crazy brain and his huge talent to visualise his imagination - it’s unbelievable.
GM What is your earliest childhood memory?
BvR I was two years old, sitting on my uncle’s Porsche. I still have a pictures of this somewhere.
GM What inspires you?
BvR The movies Brasil, Metropolis or La Piscine.
GM What do you feel you’d like to achieve in life?
BvR I try to live my dream, create a little world full from positivity, and retain the value of the things I experience and see around me.
GM If you could build your own house, where would you build it and what would it be made of?
BvR I’d build it on a little hillside, with a view of the landscape stretching out towards a lake - Belle Epoch style. I’d have an old house though, I wouldn’t build a new one. I like the history of houses and homes, the stories behind them and the people who have lived there. But if I could choose: I like wood, red stone, colorful glass, and I’d paint every room in a different color - specifically the library room, which would be in a nice British green.
GM What’s your favorite hairstyle?
BvR Anything with charm, form and texture.
GM And does life imitate art or does art imitates life?
BvR There is definitely a give and take between art and life. People try to give each other a fresh viewpoint from their own perspective. But the first thing to understand about art is that many tried only to be better than everyone else. So the main art was success. Maybe we should go more back to the real craft - just doing what we feel is beautiful.