Thom Browne AW25 x James Pecis

This show was themed around birds, flight, and more generally, ‘hope.’ What was your process in incorporating these concepts into the hair looks? Take us through your design journey. I have a special relationship with Thom and the creative process for me usually starts a month, or a little more, before the show. We usually have a meeting and Thom and his team share the collection sketches, concept, fabric, color swatches, and anything else that can be helpful. After we have this meeting, I start thinking about different ways I can achieve this with the hair and sketch out some ideas. After tests we send over documentation to Thom, he gives us feedback, and then we try some more.

For AW25, Thom shared with me his ideas regarding birds, origami, and the precision he wanted throughout the show. 10 days before the show, I went to the salon Kennaland, and Kenna gave us a huge workspace to start the hair tests. We ordered all our materials, covered the floors, and then 3 of my team helped me try ideas and documented different looks. There is a lot of prep that goes into this show, so being prepared is essential to pulling it off.

You’ve worked with Thom Browne since SS22. Does working with the same designer multiple times bring both positives and challenges? If so, how? What would be your advice for how a session stylist can build a positive relationship with a designer? It is a dream to work with someone over the years. You know their team, and they know yours. You understand their process and how you can contribute to bringing their vision to life. Thom brings all the right people together and has faith in the team to do something incredible. There are not many situations like this, where you are given an idea or concept and you get to push yourself creatively alongside an extremely talented cohort. 

My advice is to nurture those relationships when they happen. It is not always easy, but when it all clicks together, you make magic.

Isamaya Ffrench has also worked with you on a variety of Thom Browne shows, doing beauty. How do you work with a makeup designer to craft a cohesive look? For AW25, the eyelashes were almost a ‘hairy’ element. What’s the collaborative process? Isamaya and I have done shows together for awhile and I think we flow together effortlessly and in the same direction. She is supportive of my ideas and I am of hers. We are honest with each other and push one another further.

Where did your interest in hair develop? Playing with hair is the best job in the world. I have been messing around with it since I was a kid, playing in punk bands and using egg whites for bi-hawks. I stopped working in the salon around 2004 and I only do session work now, but I still do haircuts for friends and some people in my small town—usually just to catch up with friends or make someone happy. I love cutting, so I’m usually up for giving chops.

Now with my company Blu & Green, I am disrupting the way we create new products. I have consulted for many top haircare brands over the years, so this is a new exciting chapter in my career.

Do you think session hair gets the recognition it deserves? When the hair is good, It will get attention. There are fewer and fewer places where you can push your creativity in a space that supports it. I can only do this hair for a show with Thom because his clothes demand it. If I did this anywhere else, it might just be a bad hair show. It works in this context because all the elements, and this team, come together to support each other, and I think everyone walks away from the show with the recognition they hoped for. I am honoured to be there, and it is also a lot of fun!