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Didier Malige (née Christian Malige; September 5, 1948) is a French Hairstylist. Raised in Paris, France Malige has been called a hair visionary by the New York Times and other commentators.

Biography
Malige’s career began in the mid 1960’s when, as a teenager, he joined Carita Paris’s premier salon as an apprentice. Working along side Carita hairstylist, Marc Richard, Malige became intrigued when Richards would “go to the studio, do two or three girls and then come back to the salon.” The atmosphere in the studio and the beauty of the girls was something that piqued his interest. After three years of working alongside the craftsmen of the era, Didier went on to work at the salon of another former Carita stylist, Jean Louis David,. Trying to bring more attention to his salon and recognizing the new demand for hairdressers for editorial commissions, Jean Louis David created a little group of young hairdressers for magazine work, which Malige became a part of.

It was during this time in Paris Malige worked with photographers Helmut Newton, who he credits for his first big break on a French Vogue assignment, Bob Richardson, and Guy Bourdin. In the 1970’s Malige set off to launch his career in New York. Around the late 70’s – early 80’s Malige first worked with Bruce Weber, for Seventeen Magazine and Mademoiselle. Malige started working with Weber for GQ at a time when men were seen more as accessories and it was taboo to use them in many pictures. With Weber they became the most important person of the image when he created a new style by always using two men and a girl.

Over the decades Malige has become known for his collaborations with photographers including, Patrick Demarchelier, Arthur Elgort, Hans Feurer, Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino, Mario Sorrenti, Craig McDean, Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, Inez van Lamsweerde &Vinoodh Matadin, David Sims, and Terry Richardson.

His ability to not only style, but flawlessly sculpt both men’s and women’s hair has led him to develop long-standing relationships with the houses of Dior, Dior Homme, Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, Raf Simons, Hedi Slimane, and Ralph Lauren.

Some of the fashion brands who have worked with Malige for their runway presentations and advertising campaigns include Proenza Schouler, Giorgio Armani, Dior Homme, Prabal Gurung, Philosophy, Band of Outsiders, Rachel Zoe, Calvin Klein Resort, Prada, Miu Miu, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Bulgari, Calvin Klein, Ermenegildo Zegna, Giorgio Armani and Net -a- Porter.

Malige’s work has appeared in fashion magazine including American, French, English & Italian Vogue, W Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Allure, Vanity Fair, Self Service, i-D, and Interview (Magazine).

In the late 1990’s Frédéric Fekkai called Malige from his salon at Bergdorf Goodman saying he would like Malige to teach some of his people what he knows. This relationship with the Fekkai Brand has spanned for over two-decades.

Personal
Malige has been living with his partner, Grace Coddington (Creative Director of US Vogue) and their collection of cats for over 25 years. In 2006 they released a book ‘The Catwalk Cats’ in which Malige had taken photographs of his home life and their cats whilst Coddington wrote and illustrated how she perceived the cats personalities to be. Armed with a creative intelligence and a nimble pair of hands, Didier is an undisputed master of his craft and especially enjoys collaborating with photographers and editors who allow him the freedom to realize his vision. Didier believes that the biggest compliment he has received is learning that someone became a hairstylist because they were inspired by his work.

Didier Malige, is currently represented by Art Partner.