STYLE : VIVA BARCELONA! : LOOKS : Of Mousse and Men

Pascual Iranzo, perhaps the most famous men’s hairstylist in Spain, is given to strong pronouncements. “Others are very good coiffeurs,” he says, “but I have a philosophy. I am a philosopher of life who cuts hair.”

Iranzo, who styles the hair of King Juan Carlos, grew up in a poor quarter of Barcelona, the son of a barber. He studied haircutting in Paris, then traveled to the United States in the mid-1950s. “Everything was just barbershops, and it wasn’t very interesting,” he says. Back home, he opened his first shop in 1960; today, he has four. He has written books on men’s grooming, formulated men’s skin and hair products (sold only in Barcelona) and is about to launch a line of men’s makeup.

It stands to reason that for the past 10 years, Iranzo has not merely cut the King of Spain’s hair. “The king needs someone who can maintain his public image so that time doesn’t appear to be changing him. This is my job,” Iranzo says. This involves coloring the royal hair as well as shaping it, he reveals.

Everyday clients also benefit from his image-making skills. “Disguising yourself as a younger person characterizes you as ridiculous. To have a youthful maturity, on the other hand, is seductive. It is the key that opens many of the doors that lead to success. Of course, the ultimate success is simply being satisfied in your own skin.” Or, as he might add, under your own hair.