- "We were both in separate careers and trying to do well for our kids and give them a good life. And we had this one chat - that I think we both remember really clearly where we thought, right, let’s just stop trying to do our own things and be brilliant on our own and let's just do it together and make that brilliant."
Every great hair story starts with the hair - but for Larry and Laura King, the story started with a conversation.
At the time, they were both pursuing separate careers, working hard to give their children a good life. Then came a moment they both remember clearly: instead of trying to be brilliant on their own, why not do it together? And so, Larry’s World, the blog that started it all, was born.
That idea of bringing their strengths together has remained at the heart of everything they do. Larry brings his instinct, experience and understanding of hair; Laura brings a fresh perspective, an eye for design and an ability to spot the little things that hairdressers sometimes take for granted. Together, they opened their first salon in South Kensington, with Laura creating the interiors and Larry shaping the hairdressing experience. Two years later, Larry King Haircare followed.
From the beginning, the salons and the products have always been part of the same world. The philosophy is simple: a social life for your hair. Larry wanted the salons to feel welcoming and familiar - somewhere you could walk in, feel at home, have a chat and leave feeling great. That same spirit runs through the products: practical, beautifully considered formulas designed to make everyday hair easier, better and more enjoyable.
Many of the products are born directly from what happens in the salon. Laura sees the little tricks that happen backstage or behind the chair and asks how they could be made part of someone’s everyday routine. The Flyaway Kit, for example, came from watching the team use small brushes to define hair backstage. Liquid Hairbrush came from trying a conditioner on their daughter Nancy’s famously unbrushable, twig-filled hair. Even the names carry stories - from My Nanna’s Mousse, inspired by a familiar childhood scent, to A Social Life For Your Hair, the phrase that became the ethos of the whole brand.
For Larry and Laura, creating great hair is only one part of the experience. It is about making people feel good, whether they are sitting in the salon chair or standing in front of the bathroom mirror. That means products that genuinely work, packaging that feels special, choices that consider sustainability, and salons where conversation and connection are as important as the finished look.
What started with two people deciding to build something brilliant together has grown into a whole world of hair - from the salons and the team behind them to the products that have found their way into bathrooms, backstage kits and hair routines everywhere.
And while the business has grown, the idea at its centre has stayed the same: great hair should have a social life.
Larry has built a portfolio that is evidence of his innate ability to work across the board from fashion, celebrity and music. He regularly contributes to magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Another Man, Arena Homme, Vanity Fair and Tatler, shooting with world renowned photographers such as Venetia Scott, Alasdair Mclellan, Mariano Vivanco, Boo George, and working with the a broad range of celebrated individulas including the likes of Jared Leto, Gigi Hadid, Natalie Portman, Courtney Love, Karlie Kloss, The Delevigne Sisters, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland to name just a few. He has lead hair on several shows including Ralph and Russo couture, Erdem and Roksanda and brings his own salon team to execute a fashion show. Larry brings a warm and reassuring energy to his session work that lifts and enlivens the team on any shoot.
Larry, along with his wife and business partner Laura, opened a flagship salon in South Kensington in January 2017 which was swiftly named London’s Hottest New Salon by Tatler, Number One Salon 2018 by Harper’s Bazaar and Best London Salon for a blow-dry by The Telegraph. This was followed in 2019 by a second salon nestled just off of Westbourne Grove in a beautiful mews, and a further space in Hotel De Paris in Monaco. Most recently, in December 2024, the Larry King family expanded again with the opening of a brand new salon in Marylebone.
Based on the ethos “a social life for your hair”, the salons are based on un-intimidating luxury and offer clients a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere and appointments with its hand-picked stella team that includes award-winning colourists and stylists who are well regarded as some of the best in the world. Larry and Laura pride themselves in providing a happy and progressive working environment for their team. Team Larry King has been at the forefront of the return of curls with their Curly Hair Remedy and believes working with and understanding your natural texture is the best way to achieve a luxurious finish. The team delivers cool, effortless hair that is as individual as its clients.
In November 2018, Larry and Laura launched Larry King Haircare to showcase Larry’s haircare heroes that he’s been mixing up behind the scenes and using on clients for years. Created with the demands of his clients in mind, Larry King Haircare consists of a range of multi tasking hair heroes that combine efficacy, innovation and sustainable packaging whilst looking and smell great. Larry King Haircare is now stocked in Britain's most iconic department stores Selfridges, Liberty and John Lewis, as well as online beauty powerhouses Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay. It is also stocked globally in David Jones, Adore Beauty, Skins and Laconicum.
If you are looking to start your career as a hairdresser in one of London's top salons, further your career or work behind the scenes, we are always keen to hear from passionate individuals who are keen to join a dynamic team.
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