Beautiful, jet-black tailored suits dressed the models as they sauntered across the catwalk. Olivier Theyskens set about stirring the crowd with what he does best – moody, mystical magic with a haute couture twist. The “perpetual fill rouge of a dark utopia” runs throughout Olivier Theyskens’ collection, which somehow manages to look to the future with a glance at the past, with a distinct feel of the supernatural.
In a world obsessed with replicating perfection, it can actually be unnerving to be met with the end result. A glance in to the future led Eugene Souleiman to create a hair look that “truly is perfection.” This isn’t “Instagram perfection,” it’s the reality of Theyskens’ dystopian future, where hair is a material to be moulded and shaped, with inspiration taken from the likes of Bladerunner. Souleiman has created a look that is to all intents and purposes, a ponytail. However – this is by no means your average ponytail – it’s heavy with product and sculpted to perfection.
The Key Technique
The end result is a beautifully set, entirely unshakeable up-do that conceals any evidence of a fastener to keep the hair in place. At the end of the hair, due to the hard, rigid texture, is a jagged, crisp crunch of a ponytail. Overall – the end result is perfection. Craftsmanship, excellence and true artistry are evident throughout the creation – which all set off the gothic dream world exquisitely.
Asked how we wanted this audience to feel on seeing his work, Souleiman said he wanted his audience to feel like they would love it but they couldn’t have it. "Aspirational but unattainable. It’s not hair, it’s more than hair, it’s an object – a sculpture.”