Gavin Harwin was born in London and raised in Rye, England. He began hairdressing in London during the mid-eighties but later moved to New York to build his career as an editorial hairstylist. Gavin has accumulated an expansive portfolio that includes advertising campaigns and celebrities, in addition to his editorial work.

Gavin works with Flair, Numéro, Harper's Bazaar, W, Allure, British Elle, The Face, i-D, and Vogue and has collaborated with a wide range of top fashion photographers, including Patric Shaw, Patrick Demarchelier, Alexi Lubomirski, Cometti, Diego Uchitel, Greg Lotus, Richard Avedon, Michael Thompson, Mark Abrahams, Steven Klein, Regan Cameron, Greg Kadel, Nicolas Moore, James Macari, Luis Sanchez and countless others.

His advertising clients include Pantene, Matrix, Biolage, John Frieda, Ralph Lauren Fragrance, Herbal Essences, Natural Beauty, Chanel, Fendi, Carolina Herrera, Valentino, Byblos, Gap, Revlon, Estee Lauder, CoverGirl, and Shiseido. Among the celebrities with whom he has worked are Katie Holmes, Kim Cattrall, Julianne Moore, Ellen Barkin, Uma Thurman, Isabella Rossellini, Julia Stiles, Claire Danes, Lucy Liu, LeeLee Sobieski, Joaquin Pheonix, Mischa Barton, Erika Christensen, Hilary Swank and Aaliyah.

In addition, he has acted as the key hairstylist for a number of runway shows, such as Fendi, Byblos, Costume National, Chanel Couture, Daryl K, Richard Tyler, and Hugo Boss.

Gavin Harwin currently resides in New York with his wife, Sally, and son, Lucas.