Designers' weird obsession with hair becomes a trend The blurred boundary between fashion and fetish, creativity goes wild

Sequins, embroidery, rhinestone or, for a flamboyant look, feathers. Have you ever thought of using hair to decorate a dress? It's not a joke, it's a form of creative expression and on social media it has all the elements to become a new trend.

We spend many hours in front of the mirror taking care of our hair, which is an essential part of our self-confidence, but when we see it outside its natural context, it instinctively makes an impression on us. We want to analyse the phenomenon of the hair mania to understand how it has inspired designers. We will take a tour through the archives of fashion houses to discover the craziest forms of creativity.

Hair in fashion between horror and genius 

Whether you like or find it disgusting, it certainly attracts our attention in a morbid way. The hair mania first caught the most avant-garde designers and then reached an audience of fashion addicts. Fashion flirts with fetish and produces objects that, in order to survive, must be considered a 'design piece' rather than an actual wearable product.

The use of hair in the collections does not only mean absurdity as an end in itself or mere provocation, but also playing with social norms, evoking feelings or, more simply, implementing an aesthetic inspiration that suits the brand.

Hair mania in the history of fashion 

Unconventional, aspirational and even conformist. The controversial fascination with hair accessories has conquered more designers than we can imagine. The hair craze is a phenomenon that emerged mainly around the turn of the 90s and early 2000s, decades of avant-garde and experimental fashion. Here are the most interesting examples.

Maison Margiela - from accessories to a themed collection

High tails that appear to be interrupted by metal or resin rings. Dior's SS 2015 Couture, designed by Raf Simons, plays with the hair craze by proposing a kind of optical illusion. Très chic!

Hair in the collections of emerging designers

One designer recently conquered by hair mania is KIMHĒKIM, who dedicates his fourth collection to this concept.

This trend is not yet ready to reach the general public, it will remain tied to a niche that knows how to understand and appreciate it for a while yet. This could be an opportunity to be bold with an accessory made with hair before everyone else has it. Be mindful of ethics! When it comes to clothes, we prefer fake hair.

Accessories made with hair to purchase

Here, as always, is a little shopping guide to inspire your purchases or confirm that - yes, designers do indeed use hair in their creations.