#HAIRTESTS by Guido Palau

Guido Palau1Steven MeiselDavid Sims

…

As one of the world’s most innovative and respected hair stylists, Guidos collaborations with photographers such as Steven Meisel and David Sims have resulted in some of fashion’s most iconic images. This new book, however, is far removed from a collection of previously published work. #HAIRTESTS has an immediacy and an urgency. It goes directly to the source. As Guido explains:
For me, this is primarily a sketchbook of ideas, and the young models I worked with were willing to be the beginning part of that sketch. My imagination was fuelled by their hair. The impulse was to create characters in a purely instinctive way.

#HAIRTESTS is a book of photographs, but Guido is keen to stress that this is not a photography book.
The images present an artists rendering, a visual journal of characters. Its not about the photograph per se. I simply recorded the results on my phone. I am not a photographer, but just like everyone else in the world, I have this device, like an extension of my hand, which records what is in front of me.

This shift away from photography brings the hair to the foreground. Guidos limitless ideas emanate from what stands before him.
Studying the models, I was trying to capture their essence. Their features, often angular and unconventional, begged many questions: Are they awkward, geeky, rebellious or anarchic? What I do is often only one squirt away from disappearing. As soon as you put water on it, its gone, so, often, I only had seconds to capture that character.
And what characters they are!

Im forever in love with how people can change themselves with their hair. This is a really exciting time because the boundaries of beauty have really broken down. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. I hope this book captures that.