Model Amber Valletta describes her first appearance in Vogue, on the February 1993 cover, as “the moment that really blew up my career. It really put me on the map.” Since then, she has landed 17 Vogue covers, earned the title of supermodel, become a mother, acted in movies, and much more. Along the way, she became involved in environmental advocacy: “It’s something that’s always been in my life. My mom was a community activist and helped stop a nuclear power plant from being built on native land in Oklahoma, so I grew up around that kind of thinking.” She has also served as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.
As of today, all of this history has come together in a neat, chic, and completely eco-friendly package. “People seem to think that high-performance hair products and ultra-clean products, or ones with advanced science, can’t all come in the same bottle,” Valletta tells Vogue over Zoom. That’s when hairstylist Teddy Charles joins the conversation: “But that’s what we created with Maison Beaux,” he says.
Maison Beaux consists of five biodegradable haircare products (in the categories of prep, treat, and style), all in eco-friendly bottles. Most impressive to me—after all, I started my career at the clean-beauty mecca Goop—is Le Ultimate Mask, a soufflé of collagen, exosomes, peptides, and amino acids, packaged in material that will break down in a home compost in just 12 weeks. It has all the qualities of a hair-reviving treatment you’d get at a fancy French spa, but you can take it home with you.
“The thing I learned during my career is that beautiful hair is always healthy,” Charles says. But when it came to creating formulas that were clean yet effective, it was sometimes easier said than done. The duo chose to ban and avoid 2,850 different ingredients from the formulas (by comparison, the United States bans 11, while the European Union bans around 1,000), which made creating each product a Goldilocks-level ordeal—some were too thin, others didn’t lather enough, and so on. Until, finally, things were just right.
“We didn’t cut corners, but instead kept pushing through,” Valletta says. “These products are high-performance, salon-grade products with advanced clean science. There’s nothing on the market like this.” And they smell subtle but lovely, too: orange blossom, sweet almond, and musk.
During our time together on Zoom, it’s hard not to notice… well, that both Valletta and Charles have absolutely fantastic hair. And while they insist this isn’t a celebrity beauty line (and they aren’t the faces of the line), they are fantastic testaments to the brand.
In honor of the launch of Maison Beaux, Vogue dove into the archives with Amber Valletta to reflect on some of the supermodel’s most inspiring hair looks.
“This was my first sitting for American Vogue, and I got the cover, which was unheard of. Something like this simply doesn’t happen these days. I was living in Paris and Yannick D’Is cut my hair, and it changed everything. This was my natural color. That cover was the moment that really blew up my career. It really put me on the map.”—Amber
Photographed by Arthur Elgort, Vogue, February 1993
“Irving Penn was a master on set. Each time I sat with him, it was like a meditation. His set was very quiet and a little bit strict, but really amazing. This hair was by Julian d’Ys, who put who knows what in my hair to get it to have all of this volume.”—Amber
Photographed by Irving Penn, Vogue, March 1996
“Right after Auden turned one, I cut my hair really short. This photo was the grow-out process.” —Amber
Photographed by Arthur Elgort, Vogue, January 2004
“I haven’t seen this picture in ages! The woman in this photo is so elevated in chic, but it feels a bit retro with the hair. Very ‘70s. They weren’t actually racing on set, it was just for the photo.” —Amber
Photographed by Raymond Meier, Vogue, March 2004
“I’ve done some really fun hairstyles on set with Stev“That’s my son, Auden, in the grocery cart. This woman really feels like a character. She’s a boss who gets things done and is probably making deals while buying groceries. The blonde color is fantastic, and Guido [Palau] did my hair for the shoot. I don’t think I could pull it off today the way I did back then.” —Amber
Photographed by Steven Meisel, Vogue, September 2008
“This was one of the last times I bleached my hair. We shot this story in 1 World Trade Center while it was still under construction, which was a bit scary because it was a real construction site. I always love bleaching my hair, though sometimes it completely destroys it.” —Amber
Photographed by Mikael Jansson, Vogue, August 2013
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Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Amber Vallettas Hair
1 Who is Amber Valletta
Shes an American supermodel and actress who became famous in the 90s and has been known for her beautiful hair ever since
2 Why is Amber Vallettas hair so famous
Shes had consistently gorgeous healthylooking hair for over 30 years across many different styles and colors
3 What hair color is Amber Valletta known for
Shes most famous for honey blonde but shes also rocked brunette platinum and even red shades
4 Whats her signature hairstyle
Long layered waves with a center part Effortless and glamorous at the same time
5 Has she ever had short hair
Yes shes worn chinlength bobs and shoulderlength cuts and she looks great either way
6 What makes her hair look so healthy
Regular trims gentle coloring deep conditioning and avoiding too much heat styling
7 Does she use hair extensions
Shes worn them for red carpet events but her natural hair is thick and healthy on its own
8 How does she get that shiny glossy look
Gloss treatments hair oils and keeping her color fresh between appointments
9 Whats her goto everyday style
Loose natural wavesoften airdried or styled with a curling iron for a relaxed look
10 Does she follow hair trends
She adapts trends to fit her classic style rather than chasing every new look
11 How can I get hair like hers
Grow it long add layers keep it healthy with trims and conditioning and choose a color that suits your skin tone
12 What products would help me copy her look
A good leavein conditioner heat protectant texturizing spray and a shine serum or hair oil
13 Can fine hair look like hers
Yesuse volumizing products velcro rollers and light layers to create the illusion of thickness
14 How often should I trim my hair to keep it healthy
Every 812 weeks just like most models do
15 Does her hair change with her age
Shes kept it long and youthful adjusting the tone and style slightly as shes gotten older