Preston Hair
Creating a beautifully curated online inspiration platform for a hair stylist to the stars.
outline
primary challenge
The Preston Hair brand is synonymous with styling excellence across catwalk shows, editorial, film, and creative direction for L’Oréal Professionnel. Founder Robert Preston had long resisted opportunities to build a website, unconvinced that previous proposals captured the true essence of the brand. He was clear in his brief: this should not be a traditional salon website, but a platform that both promotes the salon and showcases the remarkable breadth of creative work beyond it.
our role
Primary Pillar: Creative and Storytelling
Engagement length: 5 months
background
Robert Preston is a leading figure in Swedish hairstyling and hair design. Half Scottish, half Swedish, he founded his renowned salon in Östermalm, Stockholm over 25 years ago. More than a physical space, the Preston Hair brand is synonymous with styling excellence, spanning catwalk shows, editorial work, film, and creative direction for L’Oréal Professionnel.
A recognised presence on the international stage, Robert has styled global celebrities, prominent political figures, and the world’s leading models. He approached us to create a digital presence that would capture the full breadth of his work, the diversity of his business, and the personality behind the brand.
challenge
We had known Robert socially for several years when we were approached to develop the concept for his first-ever website. Our initial conversations focused on defining the site’s purpose. It needed to present the physical salon – highlighting its premium service, expert team, professional partnerships, client testimonials, and enabling direct bookings.
At the same time, the site had to act as a platform for Preston Hair’s acclaimed work on stage, in film, and in print, offering inspiration to visitors exploring new styles. The brief also called for a bilingual experience, with all content available in both Swedish and English, yet not simply as two mirrored language versions of the same site.
solution
Creative, Storytelling and Content Creation
Robert’s success has always been rooted in his personality and his effortless ability to connect with people from all walks of life – from loyal local clients to global celebrities. It was clear that the website needed to reflect him as much as the brand. To define the right tone of voice, we spent extensive time interviewing Robert and his wife and business partner, Lisa, exploring his history, vision, and deep passion for styling.
The Preston Hair salon itself is a young, vibrant environment, and the digital experience needed to capture that same energy. We began by documenting a day in the life of Preston Hair through a photoshoot, capturing real clients being styled in the midst of a busy, working salon.
Experience Strategy, UX and Interface Design
We developed a clean and understated visual identity for the website, using a monochrome palette of black and white with a single purple accent. All colour emphasis would come from the imagery itself.
The site was structured in two distinct sections:
- Business-focused: containing all essential information and functionality to support the salon.
- Inspirational: a showcase of creative work, including fashion show videos, behind-the-scenes glimpses from TV and film projects, and professional photography of styles featured in leading fashion publications.
For the bilingual content, we drew inspiration from the SAS inflight magazine: English and Swedish texts are displayed side by side, using a “negative” approach – English appears black on white, Swedish white on black. Even the top navigation reflects this bilingual treatment.
The website is fully responsive and built on the Perch framework. We also developed a custom CMS, allowing Preston Hair staff to easily manage and update content. To ensure smooth adoption, we provided a detailed user guide and hands-on training.
Content creation (digital, print, AV, photography)
When Preston Hair launched their new online shop, one of their exclusive brand partnerships was with Maria Nila, the vegan haircare line. Robert wanted co-branded marketing videos to showcase the collaboration, highlighting the products in action and the stunning results they achieve, and we were excited to bring that vision to life.
We sifted through hours of footage to select the perfect sequences, crafting them into seamless, engaging narratives – and even composed the music to complete the experience.
outcome
A truly one-of-a-kind website that challenged conventional expectations for salon sites. Its distinctive content strategy and the seamless flow between the business and inspiration sections made a significant impact when it launched.
