For the photography of the Stephen Jones collection at the MoMu Fashion Museum, Antwerp based hairdresser Pascal Van Loenhout has teamed up with Bumble&Bumble to create a number of hairstyles that are the perfect pedestal for Jones’s hats. The result is a series of stylish wigs that accentuates the sculptural effect of the extravagant headwear.
Van Loenhout chose to create variations on ageless, historical hairstyles such as the so-called ‘carré’, the chignon and the afro. What immediately strikes the eye are the strong graphic lines and the platinum blond colour of the hairpieces. His decision to make wigs as white as snow is not an obvious one: these are made out of pure nylon, which is not easy to cut. To solve this problem, van Loenhout used clippers instead of a pair of scissors. It goes without saying that this unusual cutting technique requires some experience. Additional problem: nylon cannot stand that much heat so it was very complicated to stylize using heat sources. Only by using the correct products and techniques,the wigs could attain the perfect shape and volume. And why exactly is it that white wigs were chosen? The platinum blond hair with the white mannequin forms a refined combination of colours. In that way Jones’ extraordinary creations get the ultimate support that they deserve.
Both on Jones’s wigs and in his own hair salon, Pascal van Loenhout uses the British hair cutting technique. He has mastered this special technique perfectly. In this approach, emphasis is on the technical and architectural aspect of a certain hair style: the haircut is constructed out of geometrical forms. Quite different from the more instinctive, French approach which is still the standard in most Belgian hair salons. The long-lasting life span of such a typical English haircut is just one of the many advantages. Apart from that, this hair style can easily be put into shape at home: there is hardly any need for special brushes, curling irons or even a hair drier. According to van Loenhout, the British hair style, which is very easy to keep in shape at home, is gaining ground on the classical, French haircut, which needs a lot of brushing.