Thom Browne SS19: Medieval, Maudeline Manes

Thom Browne is known for his commitment to excellent modern tailoring with a twist. He created bedazzling prints of crabs, whales, shellfish and lobsters for his SS19 show, which showed up in bold, beautiful colours throughout the collection.

It was a nautical feast that dutifully honoured the ocean, whilst working with modern day materials and innovative patterns that firmly anchor the collection to dry land.

For ghd Fashion Week Ambassador, Eugene Souleiman, working with Thom is always exciting:

Thom is a free spirit. His wardrobe is always incredibly imaginative, which is ideal for a hairdresser. He also doesn’t take everything too seriously, meaning you get a level of wit and an added ‘sense of humour’ to the collection. Everything we do is about creating a moment - trying to do things you’ve not seen before.

Whilst foamy, almost felt-like textures are at the heart of the hair looks, the end results are much more severe than sharp, underwater looks. Instead, Eugene drew his inspiration from the medieval era, giving the impression of a washed-up maiden, as opposed to an underwater creature. Crushed, squashed and sculpted, this look is a first for the fashion world: “This is a strong, definitive look which has never been seen before”, says Soulieman, once again visibility excited by the uniqueness of the creations inspired by Thom Browne’s collection.

The Technique

To create the look, Eugene Soulieman set about creating hair that “does not behave as hair”.

1. Seeking the texture of chainmail, the first step is to add a thick layer of Wella Professionals’ aptly named Ocean Spritz.
2. The hair is then sectioned off - leaving a section for the top, the ponytail and a further section for the tight ponytail. The first section is pulled back into an extremely tight ponytail and the hair on the top of the head is backcombed and then crushed. The ‘crushing’ is achieved through an intriguing technique where Eugene applies, “A spritz of Wella Professionals EIMI Sugar Lift” and then covers the top of the head with a net, blow-drying over it with a ghd Air hairdryer to dry and hold the product in place, resulting in that desired crushed feel.
3. For the sabre-like ponytail, Sugar Lift is run throughout the hair and blasted with the ghd Air hairdryer - the aim is a solid, jutting ponytail which sticks jarringly out from the hair, evoking the feel of a spear or a sword. This understandably relies on a whole lot of hairspray. The end result is an abstract, unsettling up-do that works to fix the eye on the exquisite costumes whilst hinting at something dark and medieval. Tellingly, Eugene mentioned that, “you can get away with murder as a hairdresser” at this show and whilst you can’t quite place your finger on it – the look does hint at something eerie and other-worldly, albeit beautiful.