Biography
At the Edward Beale salon, Max would begin his training and take the first step that would propel him in a career that led to the stars. Completing his apprenticeship, Max moved from Melbourne to Sydney and stepped into his role in Double Bay. It was here that Max would get his first taste of the power of photography and hairdressing.
Moving to New York in the early eighties would open Max to a whole new world. He entered the Big Apple equipped with a portfolio that already included big names like Australian Vogue and a list of cover shoots under his belt. His classical training would take shape in America as he began to prove himself and went from the new kid on the block to the name everyone was talking about. Max would go on to work at Bumble and Bumble salon when he first touched down in New York, becoming one of their first editorial stylists.
No doubt it was his collaboration with famed photographer Herb Ritts that started his push to stardom. The images captured by Herb created a body of work for Max that still stands today as some of the finest imagery in fashion and celebrity portraiture. Clients such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, L’Oréal Paris, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Allure, Pantene, Victoria’s Secret and Revlon soon followed and Max began his non-stop traveling around the world.
It was with these clients, in these marketing images, that Max defined his greatest talent with hair: the creation of luxurious, rich, aspirational looks. Stephanie Seymour played a huge role in this era of Max’s life, not just his muse but one of his closest friends to this day. Max met Stephanie when she was sixteen and together the duo would pair up to create some of the most iconic images of the decade such as their famous Victoria Secret contract. They went on to work on hundreds of campaigns and editorials together with photographers such as Richard Avedon, Juergen Teller, Todd Barry, Patrick Demarchelier, Bruce Weber, Mert & Marcus, Peter Lindbergh and Inez and Vinoodh.
For Max, not only has he been driven by a passion for styling hair, but also a passion to be on the front of innovation. Despite his long resume of big names and hair styling, for Max he believes his ‘best work is yet to come’.