We love a giver and Lord knows, celebrity hair stylist, Andrew Fitzsimons delivers! When he’s not giving the Kardashian‘s flaw-free follicles then he’s launching his brand new haircare line Primark x AF, setting up the Trans Cosmetic Donation Program and stripping down to his smalls for us. We discuss how much he loves a serum, how Mariah has the greatest memory and how he became BFFs with Janet Mock.
So first up, Andrew, thank you for these images. They are fiyah!
Haha…our mutual friend, Graham Cruz, styled it and was like, ‘Let’s make it really slutty.’ I was like, ‘Um….I’m actually trying to promote my cosmetics. So….let’s make it 40% slutty.’ I edited out all the ones where my ass is out.
Shirt: Botega Veneta / Trousers: Raf Stesmans
OK, well feel free to slide into our DMs with those, ok? You’ve gone through a major makeover, having definitely closed the door on your twinkier days. What’s inspired this?
I think it’s just hitting my thirties. It feels like I’ve opened a door to accepting myself. Living in New York before I was living in a constant state of anxiety like, ‘Oh my God, when is my next meal going to be?’ or ‘When is my next job going to be?’ or ‘Why don’t I look like this?’, especially moving to NY from Europe. So it was definitely a journey for me.
I’m 32 now and I just knew that as I got older it was going to be more difficult to get fit, so I started going to the gym more for health reasons than for aesthetic ones…although obviously they don’t hurt! I’m single so I’m enjoying that part of it too!
Jacket: Raf Stesmans / Pants: Calvin Klein
Amen! So congratulations not only for the body-ody-ody, but also your new haircare Primark x AF line which is equally sexy, glamorous and er….versatile?! Which of the products are you proudest of?
I’m going to be really annoying and say all of them. Being a hairstylist who really started from the bottom to having my own product in general, makes me proud. I’m incredibly proud of all of the products because I put so much effort into product development and created products that I can use on my own clients and be able to still sell them at a price everyone can afford. But if I am pushed, then the hair oil is my secret favourite child. I love a serum.
You’ve been busy, because you also created the Trans Cosmetic Donation Program too. Can you tell us more about that?
I guess like a lot of people, I didn’t use to know a lot about the trans community because I didn’t have a lot of access to meeting them. But a couple of years ago I was on a photoshoot for Out magazine and met Janet Mock, who at the time was a journalist and preparing to release her memoir. On the shoot she introduced me to her makeup artist, Wendy, and explained how they had grown up together in Hawaii and then transitioned together as teenagers. We just got each other instantly and became best friends.
Now when I care about someone, I also want to be able to support them and having experienced homophobia in the past I know what it’s like to not feel supported. So for me, I couldn’t be friends with these women, both of whom are transwomen of colour, and not acknowledge the inequality that the trans community faces. So I got to a point where I had a voice and realised I got sent so many cosmetics to try out but I never knew what to do with them after. I happened to speak to a friend of mine that was in the process of opening the Trans Wellness Center and so I created the Trans Cosmetic Donation Program.
Vest & Shorts: Raf Stesmans / Socks: Champion
Now obviously some of your biggest clients are the Kardashians who I’m sure are like family at this point. I’m sure you discuss all kinds of things together while doing their hair. Do you discuss your dilemmas with them?
Are you trying to get me sued?! What I will say is that everything comes up in the Glam Room. As soon as someone sits down in the makeup chair, people start confessing their sins and I’ve actually always been someone that my friends come to for advice. Usually I am the ‘tough love’ friend. I’m not good at sugar-coating things. But the Glam Room is like Fort Knox. What happens in the Glam Room, stays in the Glam Room I’m afraid.
Jumpsuit: Raf Stesmans / Glasses: Finest Seven / Hat: Stylist’s Own (Also Main Image)
Fair enough. Let’s try someone else, because I also read that one of your first celebrity clients in New York was Mariah Carey.
Yeah, I worked with Mariah for a couple of years. Mariah is someone that I will talk about. I don’t want to dash your illusion of her but I think Mariah Carey is one of the kindest, sweetest people I have met in my entire life.
When I started working with her, she remembered every detail about me. She’d say things like, ‘So Andrew, your Mum is in Dublin, right?’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ Then she said, ‘How was her doctor’s appointment? Didn’t you say something about her going to the doctor’s last time?’ I was thinking, ‘Yes, Mariah Carey, my Mum’s ingrown toe-nail doctor’s appointment was a success!’ Mariah really has the sweetest demeanour.
The reason that I got along with Mariah so well is that I’m not really impressed by celebrities. Some of the most annoying people I’ve met are celebrities. But when I find someone I want to work with and we vibe then we vibe! Mariah and I would be in a fitting at 4am, listening to Luther Vandross or Anita Baker. We loved the legends and we liked a lot of the same hair references. Her forever hair reference is Farrah Fawcett.
Shirt: Rokit Vintage / Pants: Calvin Klein
Well, seeing as we are named after the biggest selling single of 2001, we always ask everyone, what is your favourite Mariah song?
OK, now I have to get this right. On Me. I Am Mariah, she does a cover of a gospel song, called ‘Heavenly’ which I love. Any other song I chose would be very very obvious although I do love ‘Obsessed’ too. Oh and ‘A No No’ is so good! Mariah should have done the remix with Lil’ Kim and Cardi as the Superbowl!
Primark x AF is out now
www.primark.com
Andrew Fitzsimons / Instagram
Photographer: Ricardo Nelson
Stylist: Graham Cruz
