Human hair

Hair Matter(s)

Tamed, shaved, dyed or straightened, hair is a material that has been used by humans for centuries to construct a portrait of themselves. Human hair is coiffed and styled to be a social indicator between individuals to communicate their status and cultural affiliations. Although hair’s original state is characterised by richly diverse textures and colours, our idea of hair has been steadily standardised over the years by the cosmetics industry, media, and social conventions, making it akin to a uniform.

Hair Matter(s) is a platform for understanding hair as a medium to talk about the diversity of individuals and how it is essential to address the subject of democracy and equality of all hair types in society. For this project, comprised of three jackets and headpieces made from human hair; designer Alix Bizet exaggerated the hairstyle of the models through the pieces, to shape it as a trophy and claim visibility in an increasingly standardised society.

Information submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank.

Ingredients