Alternate Universes at LFW Men
Charlie Le Mindu’s work straddles hair and fashion, with a healthy dose of theatricality, making him the go-to choice for designers looking to collaborate on hair looks with a narrative.
For the Xander Zhou show at London Fashion Week Men, this was brought to life through four diverse looks, including sharp bold wigs in bright tones, half-and-half looks, and longer undone textures.
Xander Zhou’s work explores the connection between oriental mysticism and the futuristic modernity of Asia. The continent is a blend of cultures and has a hyperactive virtual community culture. Its people embrace everything electronic, scientific and technological. This idea, coined techno-orientalism, has inspired several of his collections to date.
The most recent interpretation of this concept was a show called ‘Homo Multiversalis’; the name of a fictional breed of mankind created by the designer to embody the ultimate idea of inclusivity.
The hair looks reflected the designer’s idea that there are multiple versions of one being in alternate universes – resulting in distortion and the clashing of contrasting existences. They also pertain to the futuristic world of the brand – a fantasy universe of future life forms, perfect humans and humanoids.
Four key looks were created by Charlie and the hair team to bring to life these big concepts:
- For the natural, lived-in styles, ANTI Cream Paste and Finishing Cream were used to add texture and definition.
- For the slightly more polished look, ANTI Finishing Cream was blow-dried into the hair to smooth and add hold. ANTI Shine Spray was layered on for a healthy sheen.
- Various coloured wigs and hairpieces were prepped and fitted to models. Wigs were cut short, severe and graphic with strong lines, while some were cut in half and worn asymmetrically with natural hair. ANTI Shine Spray was used to smooth and straighten the wigs, and add a high shine finish.
- For slicked back styles – worn with or without wigs on top – ANTI Finishing Cream was used to slick hair back tight to the scalp and nape, then set for a satin finish.
Show: Xander Zhou Autumn/Winter 2020
Hair: Charlie Le Mindu
Hair team: Ellie Bond , Nathan Glynn, Will Wheelwright, Alistair Jubbs, Katie Prescott, Mike Burrow, Katie Guise, Lee Patrick Devlin, Lois Negus, Stuart Kimber, Luke Hawkins, Victoria Main
Products: ANTI