“A Good Eye”

The antique barber’s chair in Rocco Altobelli’s office—brick-red leather, brass studs, beautifully carved wood—stands as a reminder of his roots. Having just graduated from high school in Dilworth, Minnesota, the young Altobelli dreamed of becoming a photographer. But he opted for a safer bet: attending his uncle’s beauty school, Josef’s School of Hair Design, just across the state line in Fargo. “My father worked on the railroads,” Altobelli said. “My options were limited.”

But the tide started to turn when, in the late 1960s, Altobelli traveled to London to study with Vidal Sassoon. There, he encountered more sophisticated, geometric cuts. This was the first indication that, rather than small-town barber, Altobelli was to become a big-city style icon. And while he’s done hair shows around the world and his products can be found in salons across the country, Altobelli has kept his business small and family-operated. His chain of salons—the first of which opened in St. Paul in 1974—have never reached past Rochester, Minnesota.

Today, Altobelli looks more Geppetto than Giorgio with his signature shaggy paintbrush mustache. His eyebrows, still dark, are tipped with white, and silver sideburns accent his green eyes. But a penchant for refinement is confirmed by his Italian shoes—brown with an aerated white strip along the tongue. “I bought these in Japan,” he said, hinting at the shopping trips that are a favorite diversion while traveling. “I only have time to shop while out of town.”

These days, you won’t find Altobelli behind a chair at any of his salons. “My son, Nino, is in charge of the artistic end of the business,” he said. “I basically oversee and work on new stuff.” By that, he means alto bella, his salon’s product line, and Greenway Research Lab, where salon products are tested and developed. As of late, Altobelli has been working on his dermAstage skin-care line. A forthcoming product is still under wraps, though Altobelli hinted at a seed-oil blend that’s applied by roller so that tiny holes can be punctured into the skin—a revolutionary method for the penetration of antioxidants, he claimed.

As things turned out, Altobelli grew up to become a photographer of sorts, too. He proudly showed off his eight-by-ten photo (pictured here) of a cattle roundup at his friend’s ranch near Deadwood, South Dakota. This image points to another of Altobelli’s most fervent passions—horsemanship. (He collects artisan saddles and even keeps his own steed, Peso.)

More of his work, mostly black-and-white images, lines the hallways of the Rocco Altobelli corporate offices. On display are photos of models sporting looks ranging from the Dorothy Hamill to the Farrah Fawcett to the shag—three ’dos Rocco swore would never die. The photographs chronicle the various hairstyle fashions Altobelli has seen in his thirtysome years in the business—some beautiful, some bizarre. They also favor the drama of shadow, lending much to the sideways, almost deconstructivist gaze Altobelli casts upon his models and the often geometric sculptures atop their heads. Of his artful use of the lens, he said: “Hairdressing is a lot like photography. They’re both very mechanical, and they both require a good eye.”