Paul Desmarre: From the Champs-Élysées to West Palm Beach

Clients sometimes ask how a colorist ends up working both coasts. The short version: France, then fashion, then a decision to come back to the chair. Here’s the longer one — in my own words.

Le Mans, then Paris

I started in Le Mans before moving to Paris, where I trained at Coiffirst on the Champs-Élysées. That’s where I learned Parisian hairstyling properly — including balayage — and where the techniques started getting attention from publications like Elle, Madame Figaro, Jalouse, Marie Claire, and W. Paris is where the foundation was set: freehand color, precision cutting, an eye for what reads as effortless.

Los Angeles and the runway years

In 2012 I moved to Los Angeles and the work expanded into fashion and entertainment. In 2014 I cut Pamela Anderson’s hair into a pixie — it went viral, and it opened doors into on-set work, editorial, and the runway.

From 2014 to 2018 I worked as second assistant to Orlando Pita, on shows for Gucci, Burberry, Emilio Pucci, Diane von Furstenberg, Moncler, Oscar de la Renta, and Giambattista Valli — Fashion Week, red carpets, editorial shoots. It was an education in working fast, at the highest standard, with no room for error.

Back to the chair

Here’s the thing the runway years taught me: the work I care about most is the one-on-one work. Over the last decade I’ve intentionally refocused on clients — bringing the precision and the standards of fashion into a more personal, tailored experience. I’m a partner at Glyph Salon in Los Angeles, and today I work bi-coastally, between LA and West Palm Beach, where I’m a co-owner at Red Market & Martial Vivot on Dixie Hwy.

Respect and be one with hair is my number one mission.

That line is how I think about all of it — technical respect for the hair, and a real connection with the person in the chair.

What I do at Red Market

My work is balayage, natural color, color correction, and precision cuts — the French approach, applied to a Palm Beach clientele. If you want the background on how that training shapes the color itself, I’d start with why Paris-trained colorists do balayage differently. You can also see the full services menu or read more on my artist page.

Want to book with me in West Palm Beach? Reserve a chair at Red Market & Martial Vivot — book online.