Frédéric Fekkai (born 1958) is a French celebrity hairstylist and entrepreneur in the beauty industry.

Early life edit

Fekkai was born and raised in Aix-en-Provence, France to Moroccan parents. In 1979 at the age of 21, Fekkai moved to New York to start his career.[1]

Career edit

Fekkai moved to Paris in 1979 as a 21-year-old apprentice to the acclaimed hairdresser Jacques Dessange. A quick learner, three years later he would move to New York to launch an American salon for Dessange. By 1989 he was opening his own salon in the city's Bergdorf Goodman department.[2] Famous for creating hairstyles for models on both catwalks and magazine covers, he opened salons in both New York City and Los Angeles and went on to launch his own line of hair care products. Fekkai has styled the hair of many prominent women, including Kim Basinger, Jessica Lange, Sigourney Weaver,[3] Claudia Schiffer, Debra Messing, Renée Zellweger,[4] and Hillary Clinton. He is often regarded as a celebrity hair stylist.[5][6][7]

In 2015, Fekkai and his wife acquired Côté Bastide, a 25-year-old lifestyle brand from his hometown of Aix-en-Provence. The couple relaunched the business as Bastide, a collection of natural beauty and luxury home products.[8] The name is inspired by the couple's own bastide in Aix.[9]

Personal life edit

Fekkai divides his time between New York City and Aix-en-Provence, France[8]

Fekkai has been named on documents regarding Jeffrey Epstein, alleging that Epstein attempted to "look for girls" for him at a time he was in Hawaii; given this claim (from a deposition which took place on May 18, 2016) has merit, it is likely that he and Epstein were acquaintances.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ "A cut above" (PDF). www.hpvillage.com. 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  2. ^ Yaqoob, Tahira (May 8, 2010). "The mane man: Frédéric Fekkai". The National. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  3. ^ Bryony Gordon (June 22, 2005). "A hairstylist stars don't leave home without". London: Telegraph Media Group (Online version of The Daily Telegraph). Retrieved May 2, 2007.[dead link]
  4. ^ "Biography of Frederic Fekkai". New Beauty Magazine. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved May 3, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ "The Stars and Valentino From the show Oprah Goes to Paris". The Oprah Winfrey Show. Retrieved May 3, 2007.
  6. ^ Jane Clayson, on The Early Show (June 25, 2002). "Summer Hair: Naturally Free". CBS Interactive Inc. (Online version of CBS News). Retrieved May 3, 2007.
  7. ^ Novack, Kate (September 6, 2004). "Closet Capers, Three stylish lads share the secrets of their hip haberdashery". Time. Archived from the original on September 8, 2004. Retrieved May 3, 2007.
  8. ^ a b Peter Born (December 2, 2016). "Frederic Fekkai Recassts Provence with Bastide". New York: WWD). Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  9. ^ Eberstadt, Fernanda (February 2, 2016). "Frédéric Fekkai's Gorgeous Vacation Home in the South of France". Architectural Digest. New York. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  10. ^ "Final_Epstein_docs" (PDF). guim.co.uk. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.

External links edit