Focused and striking, Hyunwoo Lee’s hair work continually pushes the constraints of beauty. Feeding his affinity for the unconventional, the Seoul-based hairstylist has developed a personal style that allows him to elevate hair as a structural main component in each project, never allowing it to fade into the background as an afterthought. The hardened gel aiding in the illusion of flowing, wind-swept hair is emphasised instead of hidden; and traditional forms are exaggerated until they edge on the bizarre while still retaining an objective beauty. The resulting hair creations and concept realisations are impactful without being unnecessarily complicated, a level of skill and confidence that takes decades for some to achieve. Lee speaks to us about his background in art shaping his vision, and how finding a well-suited team of creatives can change everything.

Growing up, what shaped your creativity? Ever since I was young, I have had an interest in and studied art. My taste in art at the time was a grotesque style which could be considered less mainstream. Since then, I took a fancy to digging up and collecting images of art works and photographs that are somewhat non-mainstream and unknown to people. Such practice of finding new things helps cultivate my own knowledge of art and helps shape my creativity.

How did you first get into hair? When I first encountered the works of Guido Palau and Eugene Souleiman, I got into hair immediately and decided to be a hair stylist like those artists. I started working as an assistant at a hair salon in 2012 and became a freelancer in 2016. At this beginning phase of my career as a freelancer, most of my projects involved hair styling for e-commerce shoots. After that, I came across a great team who brought me into the world of fashion magazines, which allowed me to pursue more creative work. This helped me build a strong portfolio that shows who I am and now I work with musicians, magazines, advertisements, etc.

Do you have a favourite project that has been a highlight in your career thus far? My favourite project is ‘Flower Study’ a project on which I worked with photographer Giseok Cho, and makeup artist Seongseok Oh. The idea of designing hair based on the shape of a flower was quite new to me, as I used to get inspiration through studying the history of fashion or past works of artists I admired, which I then developed into my own vision. This project became a highlight in my career because it completely changed the way I design and visualise my ideas, and it helped me establish my own creative style.

What drives your creative energy forward? Upcoming projects. One project always generates new ideas and energy for the next, and this workflow repeats again and again. I get inspired by everything regardless of whether it is a living or non-living thing.

How has the pandemic affected your creative work flow? The pandemic does not affect me much but it has shifted the fashion industry. Digital content has become more fundamental, leading to an increase in commercial works related to that.

What does hair mean to you? What is your relationship with your own hair like? Hair permeates every part of my life. In other words, hair means everything to me. It brings me a feeling of happiness, accomplishment, suffering, and even economic well-being. There is not much relationship between my work and my own hair. It somehow deeply connects with my surrounding environment though. I spend most of my time with various musicians and artists who challenges the social norms of ideals of beauty and coolness.

What is the best and the worst thing about working with hair? The best moment is when I get to see my work in print, whereas the worst moment is when wigs which require a lot more effort than usual are not selected for print.

What would be your advice to new hairstylists who are figuring out their style? I still consider myself as a rising artist in this industry. But one piece of advice I can give is to construct a solid foundation in terms of techniques. It really helps to explore one’s own style while still keeping a high level of quality.

If you could style anyone’s hair in the world, whose hair would you love to do? G-dragon. He is my all-time favourite artist and idol forever.

Three words that describe your hair aesthetic: Neatness, elaborateness, a bit too much.