When you think of FKA twigs, what comes to mind? Otherworldly music, an alternative vibe, but also hair. And if we asked you who's behind some of the most memorable hairstyles of recent times (for the singer and dancer, among others), would you know the answer? We do. It’s Louis Souvestre, a self-described 'hair freak' whose creativity has sparked a whole new wave of styles, colors, and cuts. We interviewed him for Under The Beauty Radar, our series exploring the beauty that lies beneath the surface.
Interview with Louis Souvestre
Introduce yourself
My name is Louis Souvestre, French, living in London.
Describe your aesthetic in 3 words
Experimental, otherworldly, storytelling.
How were you first introduced to hair as a form of art?
I started loving hair from the age of 3, when I realized everything I could do with my cousin’s super long hair. Then, from the age of 8, a new girl arrived mid-term at my French countryside school from Senegal, and her hair was like something I had never seen before. She had cornrows, and then the next day she came with mid-back-length box braids. I was mesmerized and so intrigued, like everyone else at school.
When I asked her about it, she told me her mum was a witch and could make her hair grow overnight. That answer definitely stimulated my creative process and made me see hair as a form of art.
Who are your muses? What do you get inspiration from?
My muses are usually female warriors from fantasy or historical illustration books I had as a kid and still collect now. I recreate new ones in my head by combining them with other inspirations that I take from wildlife, space, sculpture, or even helmets and headpieces. I don’t really look at other hairstyles. I just love combining things together.
How did your and FKA Twigs collab come about? Do you have a specific process you follow with her when it comes to hairstyles?
I first worked with FKA twigs 5 years ago on the set of her music video “Measure of a Man.” While I was doing her hair, she asked me what I would do on her if I had complete freedom. I told her she would look amazing with looks inspired by the 18th century, recreated with dreadlocks and twists. Then weeks went by, and to my surprise, her team reached out to me for her next project called Caprisongs, and we have never stopped working together since then. My process with Twigs is usually us talking about feelings and the story she wants to tell. We share ideas and images we find and discover, often not hair-related. From there, we talk about world-building, shapes, and creating something that feels new and intentional. I usually listen to her music before creating any new hair for her and enter my own world and brain, where I constantly create new ideas, concepts, and visuals that I can incorporate into Twigs’ world.
What’s your favorite part about working with artists and how do you creative a whole world for them based on just hairstyles?
My favorite part of working with artists is discovering their world and being able to help them elevate it and bring their vision to life. To create worlds based on hair, I usually use their universe so it feels authentic, and then combine it with mine. It’s also very important to learn their personality and body language, looking at how they carry themselves, so the hair world I create suits them and elevates them. I also need to understand how they see beauty and art, as it is very subjective.
Hair in fashion is often left behind. What’s your relationship with fashion and what role do you think hair has in it?
I don’t think hair in fashion is left behind, but the value of hairstylists is. We are often seen as doers rather than creators, and that’s why I put so much importance into my research, my creativity, and my craftsmanship, so it becomes part of my DNA.
What’s the difference between working on real hair / wigs? which one do you prefer?
Both are amazing for different reasons, but I would say I use 80% natural hair in everything I do because it is such a versatile and multifaceted medium. On the other side, synthetic hair can be amazing for bigger-scale hair pieces.
If you could give some advice to young hairstylists, what would you tell them?
My advice is to spend more time in your brain, cultivating your imagination and your own world, because that’s what is going to make you stand out from everyone else. We are all so lucky to be born with different tastes and brains that no one can really access until you are ready to show them. As cringe and basic as it may sound, just look at books, nature, and what is around you. Be curious and carry on learning, even about things that have nothing to do with your art. Trust me, at some point they will. Appreciate and learn to be by yourself and create worlds inside your head. Collaborate and exchange with the right people who have the same sense of world-building. Another thing I do every night before bed is choose a few books with pictures I like just to look at. That’s the last thing I do before sleeping, so my brain can process all those images while I sleep. And journal and document every idea you have, so you can expand them.