Debra Hepburn, founder of Young British Designers, embracing her gray hair
Debra Hepburn is a 62-year-old lover of slow fashion. In the middle of the Warwickshire countryside, she founded the website Young British designers (YBD) in 2010 with her husband Julian Whitehead. The platform showcases a tight edit of the best independent designers and allows small fashion brands to gain presence in a hugely competitive industry. “I think being outside of London really helps us get out of the fashion bubble and look at each designer with fresh, unbiased eyes,” she says.
With the company’s support, designers such as JW Anderson, Eudon Choi and Rejina Pyo have achieved global success over the past decade. ‘I love finding brilliant new brands and introducing them to the right audience. Helping people discover the clothes and accessories they love is intoxicating,» adds Debra, «My latest discovery is farforia, founded by Xenia Busalova, which makes exquisite and affordable porcelain jewelry. Her rings are a new favorite.»
Photo of Debra Hepburn taken for That’s Not My Age in 2020, before lockdown.
Since lockdown, Debra has been growing gray and sharing the results on Instagram. I met with her to find out what she seemed like naturally. Here’s what the 62-year-old had to say:
Tell me a little about your hair
My relationship with my hair has been very unpredictable. I loved it when I was a little girl growing up in South Africa, and now I love it again. Then, it was long, thick and white blonde from the fierce sun. I never considered its color or length, and my hair was only a nuisance when Mom and Dad used to fight over whose turn it was to comb it after bath time, with some detangling spray, in a 1960s orange bottle.
Now it’s completely natural and grey, I feel more carefree. Not always looking at the roots and wondering if it’s time to go to the hairdresser AGAIN! And I think it suits my color at the age I am.
How would you describe your hair?
Apparently I’m known for my hair, I guess there’s so much of it that it’s the first thing people see. All the old blonde highlights are trimmed. I still have a darker blonde underneath in the back (natural, not in lowlights), it just hasn’t turned gray as quickly as the rest. I quite like the different shades as it adds some texture.
It’s always been a messy mass of colors: dark blonde, blonde-blonde in summer, highlights, lowlights, ombré, a henna phase in the late ’70s, a peroxide bleach haircut and painted cuts, sort of from French. ‘do’. I have enjoyed some of these. Others, not so much. Lots of playing with colors and styles for, I guess, about 38 years!
So how did it feel to grow up in the gray?
With all this going on, it’s no wonder he didn’t notice the first gray hairs appearing. My friends, young and old, mourned theirs, violently tore them off, and examined them closely, in horror. My hairdresser had obviously noticed it, but by then I was entering my «leave it as natural as possible» phase and she was subtly adding some lowlights.
And then came 2020. I was 58 years old and locked up. We all stayed home for months and I started cutting my family’s hair, but I just stopped mine. And he left it.
A funny thing happened. When she talked to friends online or twenty steps away she thought about how pretty they were. Yes, because she missed them. But also because her hair had softened, the dyes had diluted and smeared. The emerging greys, whites and silvers suited her beautiful older faces. The color of her eyes stood out and shone against the background of hair that looked comfortable in its own skin. Don’t try to be too fierce, too young, too tough.
Out with the blonde, in with the gray
Were you tempted to add more color?
After lockdown, I never had a full hair color again. I just added some mixed high and low lights to help me during the final grow out.
I know I’m lucky. Dark hair is harder to grow. I’ve always had some white, some blonde, and some dark blonde. And I have the best hairdresser who, although she only sees me every six to eight months now, has helped me every step of the way to becoming what Instagram calls a Silver Sister. In my last session, she cut away the older ends of the blonde residue and I emerged slightly victorious. The girl who passed the conditioner in the sink leaned in and whispered, conspiratorially, «You know women come asking to be dyed your real color, right?»
And how do you feel?
Here I am, I’m 62 years old. To love my hair again, like I did when I was a child in South Africa. Without worrying about it (other than which purple shampoo is best?!). Feeling more like myself than I have felt for many years. I love being able to wear a bright lipstick and not feel overdone. Proud to be the real deal. I never say never, but I really can’t imagine wanting to stray away from my natural silver/white/gray hair ever again. And it seems like people really love it as much as I do. They keep telling me, so it must be true!
You mentioned products for gray hair. Which is the best you have found?
I love the Oribe Bright Blonde range as it is not too harsh and purple in color (also available in USA). I use it when I feel like my hair needs a cleansing boost. It also smells great and I love the natural ingredients and a beautiful scent.
BEFORE: Photo of Debra Hepburn taken for That’s Not My Age.
AFTER: Debra, today
Gray hair care, oh yes!
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