Habib Ahmed, maestro of scissors and style, bids adieu

India on Friday, 26 September, mourned the loss of Habib Ahmed, the celebrated hairstylist whose artistry shaped not just hair, but history itself. With a pair of scissors and an instinctive sense of elegance, Habib carved out iconic looks that became the visual signatures of some of India’s most distinguished figures.

It was Habib who gave former prime minister Indira Gandhi her signature streaked bob, a style that came to symbolise power, poise and an era of woman power in Indian politics on the global stage. It was also Habib who gently nurtured the untamed mane of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, India’s beloved 'People’s President', transforming his flowing locks into a crown of simplicity and grace that mirrored Kalam’s persona.

From his humble beginnings to building Habib’s Hair & Beauty into a household name, Habib Ahmed’s journey was as much about vision as it was about craft. For decades, his salons became sanctuaries where the ordinary and the extraordinary alike found transformation. Ministers, film stars, diplomats, and everyday Indians sat in his chair, all touched by the quiet genius who saw beauty as an expression of character.

Friends and admirers recall him not merely as a hairstylist but as a confidant and an artiste who carried an aura of warmth. His scissor strokes were said to be as precise as a painter’s brush, his vision as sharp as the cut of a diamond.

As news of his passing spread, tributes poured in from across the nation, remembering him as “the man who cut across class and time, leaving behind not just styles, but legacies”.

The legend has laid down his scissors, but his touch will forever be etched in the nation’s memory — in every photograph of Indira Gandhi’s iconic streaks, in every glimpse of Kalam’s windswept locks, and in every head that walked out of his salon a little taller, a little prouder.