His Work

World-renowned for his extraordinary vision, intensity and integrity, John Sahag’s work has graced the covers of fashion and beauty magazines all over the world. A child prodigy, Sahag’s work first graced the pages of Vogue Italia at the age of 18 for his first editorial shoot. Afterward, his work would be photographed by visionaries such as Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Hiro and Albert Watson among countless others. 

Sahag split his time between Paris and New York for the next 12 years. In this time he invented his own haircutting method - cutting dry. He believed he could follow the natural rhythm of the hair this way. The dry cut method involves cutting by vertically tapering the ends of the hair with shears, always following the natural grain of the client's hair.

Sahag tapered it with an aesthetic that is born of his desire to reveal and accentuate the person - the individual - rather than merely providing a frame for the face. This unique and innovative technique, caught the attention of the beauty industry and is now renowned as the Sahag Dry Cut Technique.

"Cutting and shaping hair is a very personal and intimate experience for me.

I try to always stay alert to the magic so I can carve out shapes that are demanding to be born."

His Legacy

In 1985, John Sahag opened doors to The John Sahag Workshop in New York City. He designed every element of the space to create an inviting and serene environment.

"I wanted to create an oasis away from the frenetic pace of New York life, to erase the 'edginess' of urban living, and to revive the energy of each man and woman who enters into my space so they can leave feeling enhanced, refreshed and invigorated."

Sahag's loyal clientele returned not only for the unmatched cut, color and styling they receive from the well-trained team of craftsmen who follow Sahag’s groundbreaking technique, but also for the tranquil environment Sahag created in his workshop. In 1998, John Sahag conceived, developed and formulated the Sahag Product Hair Care line that is precision-designed "for perfectionists only". Created with his philosophy of shaping the hair in mind, he designed products that allowed one him to lift, shape and hold styles for hours in spite of numerous "re-dos" - all while keeping the hair's integrity.

In the years since his untimely passing in 2005, Sahag’s legacy has grown to inspire countless stylists around the globe who continue to practice the Sahag Dry Cut Technique. He is fondly remembered today by those whose lives he touched in the industry as well as his loyal clientele. Today we continue to keep his legacy alive by creating opportunities through our Academy to inspire the next generation of craftsmen to learn the Sahag Dry Cut Technique of shaping and styling hair that is uniquely created for each client - just as John Sahag would have himself.