Some of the exciting hairstylists within the industry today, Cyndia Harvey’s daring vision and playful innovation mix to create work that consistently pushes the boundaries. Harvey’s crown designs have filled the catwalks of designers from Louis Vuitton to Wales Bonner, and have graced the heads of the likes of Naomi Campbell and Kendrick Lamar.

Here she opens up her diaries from London Fashion Week AW23, where she headed up the hair for Simone Rocha, Nensi Dojaka, Ahluwalia and Dilara Fındıkoğlu.

SIMONE ROCHA AW23

Hair: Cyndia Harvey

“The creative process for Simone’s show is at all times a joy, because it at all times has the art of storytelling at its core; the ‘story’ for the season is at all times the start line for the hair research, followed by a day of testing out several ideas with your entire team, which is at all times highly collaborative, expansive and galvanizing day to be an element of.

“Simone’s collection this season was very near home for her, specializing in ‘Lughnasa’ (the Irish harvest), in addition to the Pony Kids of Ireland. Elements of this inspiration seen throughout the gathering informed the hair look massively. This translated in the shape of naive, fluffy ‘no haircut haircuts’ on short hair, in addition to the incorporation of a spooky/twisted element that at all times plays an element in Simone’s shows. We brought the hair forward onto the face with one eye peeking through in the shape of a couple of curls that felt weather-beaten and barely destroyed texture, and braids that got here forward onto the face, again with curled ends.”

NENSI DOJAKA AW23

Hair: Cyndia Harvey
Haircare: This Hair of Mine

“The Nensi girl this season is sophisticated and simple. The inspiration for hair was, subsequently, sophisticated but easy! A clean, sleek low pony but with a piece omitted on the front, like the ladies forgot so as to add it into the horse and tried to include it as an afterthought.”

AHLUWALIA AW23

Hair: Cyndia Harvey
Haircare: This Hair of Mine

“Music is at the center of this season’s Ahluwalia collection – the start line began with the query of ‘What’s the sound of Ahluwalia?’ The aim of the show was to evoke sentimentalism and memories inside the audience, so for the hair we researched lots of iconic and nostalgic moments from RnB Culture, in addition to influences from old-school Nollywood and Bollywood.

“The creative process for this show was very varied. After researching and testing with the team we landed on 5 – 6 different hair looks. From there we began laser cutting stencils of the Ahluwalia ‘soundwave’, and making a whole bunch of strings of beads for the beaded ponytail looks that took inspiration from the bead detailing in the gathering.”

DILARA FINDIKOGLU AW23

Hair: Cyndia Harvey
Haircare: This Hair of Mine

“The hair inspiration behind Dilara this season was rituals, repossessing autonomy over your body, spiritual freedom and healing, and ultimately freedom of the body. Taking inspiration from the tulle veils on this season’s collection, we played around with using the lace bases of wigs on top of the hair, giving the sensation of inside-out wigs. We also experimented with the concept of trapping things within the hair, just like the ‘trapped’ caught between the translucent fabrics of the gathering (hair, knives and flowers). This was a nod to the concept of being trapped, constrained, not free. We landed on incorporating said knives and flowers, and my personal collection of precious vintage combs from all world wide, into the hair.

“The Dilara person this season is rebellious, liberated, free.”