How to Get Adam Driver’s 'House of Gucci’ Hair

What is it about Adam Driver’s haircut in House of Gucci that’s so strangely satisfying?

Personally, I think it’s the way it slopes around his head like a very soft Darth Vader helmet, but that’s just one of many possibilities. Maybe it’s the volume? The gloss factor? The irrefutable bounce? I’ve been staring at it for hours now, like Cameron in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and I still can’t quite work out what makes it one of the best haircuts for men.

That’s why I enlisted the help of Denis Robinson, creative director of Ruffians Soho, to discover how you too can transfix everyone you meet with pure sprezzatura. So first thing’s first: what are we actually asking for?

us singer, songwriter and actress lady gaga l and us actor adam driver r are pictured on march 11, 2021 on piazza duomo in central milan on the set of the new ridley scott movie about the gucci black widow patrizia reggiani, who was tried and convicted of orchestrating the assassination of her ex husband and former head of the gucci fashion house maurizio gucci house of gucci, which stars lady gaga, adam driver, al pacino, jared leto, jack huston, reeve carney and jeremy irons, is an upcoming american biographical crime film directed by ridley scott, scheduled to be released in the united states on november 24, 2021 by metro goldwyn mayer photo by miguel medina afp photo by miguel medinaafp via getty images

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“Essentially it’s a wedge, an iconic shape immortalised by Trevor Sorbie while he was working at Vidal Sassoon [in the early Seventies]. In my opinion, it was the dawning of unisex hairstyles,” Robinson tells me over email. “The cut itself is a masterpiece. Cut in the same shape as a page boy, it’s done in a teardrop shape, higher at the front and dropping down lower at the nape.”

If that sounds slightly complicated, that’s because it’s a true feat of engineering. “The mastery comes with the graduation around the edges which is what gives you the texture and lift to be able to create the sweeping effect while leaving the weight and smooth density in the interior,” Robinson says. “Even the name was summoned to describe the technical aspect of the precision involved. It is cut on a sharp angle, short out to longer, keeping it tucked in around the edges.” The easy part? Almost any hair type – from fine to thick, straight to curly – will work.

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Over the past 50 years, Princess Diana has probably been the wedge’s most famous proponent (she had several variations), but any attempt to achieve Adam Driver’s lustrous reimagining of Maurizio Gucci will take further tinkering and a lot of TLC.

“It is longer with a softer graduation which gives it the more gentle sweep and swing,” says Robinson. “Hair at this length is all about these things, so you will need to invest in great shampoo and conditioner. The conditioner is essential, as it will not only dehydrate the hair but smooth the cuticles on the surface.”

You can check out our favourite conditioning products here, but the maintenance doesn’t stop there. This is a cut that requires nourishment and attention to detail, depending on what type of hair you have. Fine hair will benefit from volume-enhancing sea salt spray, whereas medium thickness calls for hair cream. Then it’s time to style the cut, which involves a surprising (but effective) method.

“The trick in styling the hair to sweep back is to dry it in the opposite direction,” says Robinson. “So you want to dry it thoroughly and completely forward and flat. Once dry, you then take a brush and sweep it backwards to achieve this flowing shape. The haircut really comes into its own at this stage, as the technicality and precision really show up. You will see the movement and architecture shine out.”

And there you have it, a haircut fit for a fashion kingpin. Now all you need is a wardrobe full of immaculate vintage Gucci and you're all set. Buona fortuna!