“I’ve been revolutionary all my life,” says Italian-born Ferretti. “I feel when people want to change something, and when they want something new.” Indeed, as Ferretti notes, my plain old hair didn’t reflect my personality, nor my colourful, eccentric sense of style. I didn’t foresee a drastic change to my hair that day, per se, but Ferretti apparently did, fashioning a new hairstyle that I never could’ve envisioned for myself.

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If you’ve never had the privilege of getting your hair cut by Ferretti personally, you might have heard of him through his various other ventures, including a line of high-end designer haircare products and his very own TV show – a wonderful endorsement for Asaya in celebration of its fifth anniversary this year. Despite having a larger-than-life personality and working with the likes of Kate Middleton, Angelina Jolie and Anna Wintour, he treats my humble hair with the same amount of care, concern and attention to detail – what can surely only be called the A-list treatment.

This immediate attunement to the needs of every individual Ferretti meets is certainly key to why he has not only transformed, but virtually taken over the entire hair industry over his many decades in business. “They [my clients] arrive and, in 60 seconds, they understand who I am,” Ferretti says of his intuitive understanding of beauty, and how that translates into his work. It is always a deeply personal and emotional undertaking for the hairstylist. “I cannot lie with my eyes, my body, my work.”

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“When I invented the invisible haircut, it was just to give freedom to people to do what they want with their hair,” Ferretti continues. “You will handle it, play with it, do an updo, curlier, straighter – you will decide what to do. But that’s the freedom of beauty. For me, there’s no code to beauty. I did my first balayage (a freehand colouring technique that doesn’t use foil) when I was 21 years old. They had to call it that because they had to give a name, but I wouldn’t codify things. My work is to give you a haircut that will give you the freedom to do what you like.”

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That singular vision is also how Ferretti has transformed this simple philosophy into a full-fledged business empire. Since kicking off his global jet-setting career at just 15 years old, Ferretti has become a pioneer not only for his inimitable place in the industry, but also his commitment to individuality and diversity. “When I was 34 years old, I did a photo shoot in Arizona with an Asian girl, with an African-American, with a boy with long hair,” he says. “Inclusivity has been a normal thing all my life. I like to say beauty is about uniqueness, personalisation. It’s about you, not about me. I’m announcing who you are. I’m not changing you, and I don’t pretend to.”

When it comes to building his brand worldwide – there are now over 20 Rossano Ferretti hair spas globally – Ferretti pays close attention to selecting not only the very best hair stylists around the globe, but also those who share his No 1 principle – take care of your customer.

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Ever the individualist, Ferretti is also quick to set the record straight when it comes to what differentiates a Rossano Ferretti education from the guidance given by the rest of the beauty industry: “The old way of giving like, five beauty tips. Honestly? [If] that’s the question, I will not answer. You can’t sum it up for everyone in five tips.”

On his arrival at Rosewood’s Asaya, Ferretti describes with immense gratitude how Hong Kong was once one of his “baby dreams”. “I’m very happy to be here. This building was a dream,” he says. “And the Rosewood vision really embraced the Rossano Ferretti vision.”

On what’s next, however, Ferretti remains tight-lipped about any future plans: “I always innovate. I cannot stop to do it. When people start to copy me, I’m already five steps [ahead].”