June 2024
Month 20xx
Jacob Marion and Hania Noor
Charmaine Gooden
Jacob Marion
Highlights
At the bustling intersection of Jarvis and Adelaide Streets in downtown Toronto, a vibrant green storefront catches the morning light. Its tall mahogany-framed windows reveal an interior overflowing with plants in a space where beauty and sustainability coexist. Climb the two steps and you’ve arrived at what was once Brian Phillips’ worldSALON, now home to SEENstudio TO, owned and operated by Andrew Wu.
Long regarded as one of Canada’s pioneering eco-conscious salons, the space helped redefine what a modern hair salon could be. Under Phillips’ leadership, worldSALON became known for its commitment to clean beauty, sustainable practices, and environmental responsibility well before those ideals became industry buzzwords.
Over a career spanning more than 35 years, Phillips has earned a reputation as one of Toronto’s most influential hairstylists and entrepreneurs. Beyond his stacked career, Phillips radiates wisdom and warmth that endears him to clients and colleagues alike.
Early Life and Career
Raised in Montreal, Quebec, Phillips didn’t come from a fashion-focused family. His mother was a librarian, his father worked in business, and creativity wasn’t an obvious career path. But from an early age, he found himself drawn to hair, spending hours styling his sister’s dolls.
“I had my GI Joes, but the Barbies were ten times more interesting. And it was the hair,” Phillips laughs. Mesmerized by their locks, he began giving them haircuts, smart bombs, to be precise. “That,” he chuckles, “was the start of my fascination with hair.”
While Phillips initially pursued sciences in school, particularly chemistry, physics and biology, even considering veterinary medicine, his path took a turn toward media during his time at Concordia University. Graduating with a degree in television production, Phillips set his sights on Toronto, drawn by the allure of the city’s opportunities.
In 1984, amidst a challenging economic climate in Montreal, Phillips took a chance and relocated to Toronto. He had some contacts at Much Music, but after multiple interviews leading nowhere, he got a job elsewhere working as a production assistant for the summer.
Phillips fell in love with Toronto. “All my friends in Montreal said, ‘Ah, we’ll give you six months, you’ll be back.’ But I never left,” he says.
Rediscovering his passion for hair and fashion came as a surprise, even to Phillips himself. Faced with a choice between interviewing for a production assistant role or taking an assistant position at Rainbow Room, he trusted his instincts and chose the salon.
“I didn’t know much about the industry then. I think I’d been to a salon maybe twice in my entire life. So, I just went with my instinct,” he recalls. He skipped the production assistant interview and never looked back.
His apprenticeship lasted nine months. Phillips washed hair, folded towels, and watched everything. Despite the doubts of family and friends, he was inspired by the salon’s creativity and the connections he built with clients.
Once licensed, he began working at fashion shows, where he discovered that hair could be as expressive as the clothes on the runway. Phillips spent the next two and a half years at the Rainbow Room, describing it as a “science lab of coolness and fun.”
His next stop was Civello Salon and Spa, where another two and a half years working alongside Ray Civello introduced him to the fast-paced world of editorial hairstyling.
Through magazine shoots for Flare and Toronto Life Fashion, he discovered a different side of the profession. “It’s a different aspect of hairstyling, catering to photography… different dynamics, working with art directors and models instead of clients,” he says.
Ivan Otis, a Toronto-based photographer and friend, has worked with Phillips for more than three decades. Otis credits Phillips’ exceptional work ethic, optimism, and generosity as the qualities that have earned him lasting respect in the industry. “There aren’t many like him. He’s genuinely good… so positive, finding the best in everyone,” he remarks.
WorldSALON stopped offering perms. Relaxers and other treatments with equally harsh chemicals soon followed. “People were pissed,” says Phillips.
Towards the end of his tenure at Civello’s, Phillips faced a pivotal moment in his career: relocate to London, England, to pursue fashion hairstyling or establish his salon in Toronto. Opting for the latter, Phillips, along with his then-partner John Taccone, founded worldSALON in 1989.
The right location announced itself. During a viewing of a potential salon space across from St. James Park, the cathedral bells across the street began to ring. Phillips still remembers the moment. “It was magical,” he says. “I looked at John and said, ‘This feels like a sign. I think this is meant to be.'”
For Phillips, who had a key understanding of the creative side of the industry, the business side posed a challenge. It was the hardest part of opening worldSALON, but he dove right in. After drafting a few business plans, the salon began to hire more staff and expand. “If you love what you do, and you’re a disciplined person, or you can learn to be disciplined, then honestly, the world is your oyster. You will succeed,” he concludes.
Phillips did indeed succeed. The dedication and unique point-of-view that he put into the salon made up tenfold for the business experience he lacked.
Jim Searle of Hoax Couture, another longtime friend and collaborator of Phillips’, remarks, “He’s incredibly creative and fun.” This creativity is what led the salon owner to take a new direction when creating the space. From solar panels to recycling initiatives, Searle says, “He’s trying to make a minimal impact on the planet with the work that he does… those are all admirable qualities.”
Fashion and Diversity
While creating his hairstyling world at 30 meant that Phillips became the controller of his own destiny, he still had his share of experiences with prejudice during his time working in the fashion industry.
In particular, the experienced hairstylist noted that there were often few Black people on set behind and in front of the camera. “There was a sprinkling of Black models… the whole sector was not something that was representative at all. And at the time, I mean, we just sort of assumed that was just the way it was,” he adds.
These experiences from early on in his career shaped how Phillips wanted to help the industry evolve. For him, as an outwardly Black gay man, being authentically himself was always important. He hoped that it would encourage others to be themselves and push the industry to be accepting of everyone.
As a hairstylist and salon owner, Phillips saw the connection between healthy hair products and embracing Black hair. WorldSALON stopped offering perms. Relaxers and other treatments with equally harsh chemicals soon followed. “People were pissed,” he says.
At the start of his career, he noted that everyone wanted to have straightened hair, and it was the norm to provide these services as textured hair was less embraced. Nowadays, Phillips is delighted to see Black models with various natural hairstyles featured in fashion magazines.
Influence and Legacy
Phillips’ impact on the fashion and hairstyling landscape extends beyond his salon. After ten years in the industry, he developed a serious case of contact dermatitis on his hands. This illness, and the knowledge that came about during his recovery, resulted in the creation of his non-toxic, multi-purpose product line now known as WORLD Hair and Skin.
With over 40 years in the industry, Phillips’ legacy is intertwined with countless magazine shoots, runway shows, and satisfied clients. His love for hair and combining his interests in science and beauty through WORLD Hair and Skin will always be a major part of his life. Both Otis and Searle applaud Phillips for his work ethic and ingenuity when it comes to being at the forefront of eco-friendly hairstyling.
Searle highlights his product innovation: “He’s gone and developed these product lines that are really ahead of their time, really, in terms of environmental impact and also not utilizing toxic chemicals on your skin.”
His longtime collaborators also note his abundant natural talent and instinct, always knowing exactly how to harness his skills for any project. Otis applauds his “incredible eye,” recounting Phillips’ ability to style hair immaculately in minutes.
Phillips hopes his risk-taking approach inspires others to do the same. “Life is short… sometimes you must choose the road less travelled. Embrace it. See where it leads,” he encourages. While his heart remains in hairstyling, Phillips looks forward to exploring new passions and taking on fresh challenges.
From giving bobs to Barbies as a child to building an internationally respected salon, launching clean beauty ventures, and pursuing interests in film and writing, he has always trusted his instincts over convention.
Today, Phillips continues to explore new ideas, whether through sustainable beauty, product innovation, or creative pursuits beyond the salon. For him, success has never been about reaching a final destination, but about remaining curious enough to imagine what comes next.
“He’s trying to make a minimal impact on the planet with the work that he does… those are all admirable qualities,” says Searle.
Archive of images at BFC:
