Hair Lead Anna Cofone explored a softer, more ethereal approach to braiding.
Published:The hair at Susan Fang’s latest collection combined intricate braiding with soft texture, polished finishes and deliberately undone details, reflecting the designer’s exploration of identity, illusion and disillusion.
Inspired by the Chinese play M. Butterfly, the collection explored a love story shaped by identity, femininity, illusion and ultimately disillusion. The hair echoed these themes, contrasting soft, romantic elements with more sculptural and unexpected details.
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Presented at London’s Barbican, the collection also drew on a 1960s setting. Head-hugging shapes were paired with fluid tendrils and imperfect braids, while three-dimensional flowers and butterfly accessories with porcelain-like finishes blurred the distinction between the real and imagined.
Rather than creating perfectly constructed plaits, Anna Cofone, Global Creative Advocate for Authentic Beauty Concept and Hair Lead for the show, deliberately deconstructed the braids. Soft flyaways, loose lengths and airy texture gave the styles an organic finish.
Elsewhere, high-shine hair was disrupted with contrasting sections of texture, while braids were wrapped horizontally around the head to create a juxtaposition between sleek and soft, precision and imperfection.
The first look focused on intricate but deliberately undone braiding. Plaits sat close to the head alongside loose lengths and delicate flyaways, creating a romantic, organic finish.
To recreate the look, assess the hair’s natural texture and apply Authentic Beauty Concept Nymph Salt Spray where additional grip and hold are required.
Create a Dutch plait along the front hairline, working across the head, followed by a second Dutch plait behind it, beginning from the back of the ear and working in the opposite direction.
Rather than creating precise sections, pick up the hair naturally as you work. Leave small pieces loose from the main braids between the crown and nape, adding two to three smaller braids around them. The placement should remain organic rather than overly structured.
Apply Authentic Beauty Concept Nude Powder Spray to add grip and texture, then gently pull the braids apart with the thumbs to flatten and widen them. Pin the plaits into the gaps and sections of the hair, keeping them close to the head while maintaining the textured finish.
Complete the look with Authentic Beauty Concept Airy Texture Spray to enhance the lightweight, airy texture.
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The second look contrasted a sleek, high-shine finish with an airy braid wrapped horizontally across the back of the head.
Begin by applying Authentic Beauty Concept Glow Spray Serum, before smoothing and straightening the hair. The parting can be adapted to suit the individual.
Take a small section behind the ear and create a tight plait through to the ends. On the opposite side, create an anchor point at the nape, using Nude Powder Spray for grip and lightly backcombing the roots to reinforce the anchor.
Bring the braid horizontally across the back of the head and secure it firmly into the anchor point. Tuck the excess length underneath the surrounding hair to keep the attachment concealed.
A subtle area of texture is then introduced through the centre of the mid-lengths, contrasting with the otherwise smooth finish.
Finish with Glow Spray Serum for high shine, followed by Airy Texture Spray to emphasise the contrast between the polished hair and softer textured detail.
The third look took the romantic direction further, incorporating airy, textured braiding into an imperfect sculptural updo.
Statement porcelain-style clips were positioned around the hairline, creating a graphic decorative element against the softer texture and deliberately loose flyaways.
Together, the three looks offer a less polished interpretation of romantic hair, with braiding used as part of the overall texture rather than as a perfectly constructed hairstyle.
“There’s something incredibly romantic about the hair at Susan Fang this season, but there’s also this idea of illusion and disillusion running through the collection. We wanted the hair to have that same sense of contrast; at first it feels very soft, delicate and feminine, but there’s something more sculptural and unexpected when you look closer,”
– Anna Cofone.
Authentic Beauty Concept Nymph Salt Spray – £33
Authentic Beauty Concept Glow Spray Serum – £47
Authentic Beauty Concept Airy Texture Spray – £34
Authentic Beauty Concept Nude Powder Spray – £34
Authentic Beauty Concept Working Hairspray – £33
Read Now: PFW SS26 Chloe X Authentic Beauty Concept.
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