NYFW hair how to: Eugene Souleiman and ghd for Dion Lee AW19

“Ponytail perfection - with a twist...”

The above quote perfectly sums up the hair look created by the legendary Eugene Souleiman for Dion Lee’s AW19 collection, which took to the runway at the recent NYFW to rave reviews. Offering up traditional, flawless tailoring combined with experimental, influential design, Dion Lee has honed his craft to perfection over the years, and this collection was no different.

It was Lee’s own idea of always designing with people in mind that inspired Souleiman, who said: “when it came to creating the hair looks, I didn’t really think about the collection… I thought about the girl who would be wearing the clothes, who the collection was designed for. That was my inspiration.” The end result was a line up of styles that were tough, cool, and refined all at once - and although the hair looks gave the appearance of being simple, the techniques that went into them were anything but. “It’s not simple, it’s not quick, it’s not done in haste,” says Eugene, “it’s very refined and very specific in the techniques used.” The hair is pulled back into what looks like a standard low ponytail from the front, but is actually off-centre, and although the hair is pulled into a bun, it is a bun with a ‘twist’. Comb marks give a feel of toughness and masculinity, creating styles that were “tougher… more assertive, slightly aggressive.”

To get the look at home, follow these steps as per Souleiman himself:

1. Crafting the look begins with the hair being cleanly split into two sections – one at the top of the head and one at the bottom. The hair from the lower section is then pulled back into the low, ever so slightly left off centre ponytail, and completely (and liberally) sprayed with Wella Professionals EIMI Mystify Me Strong to give it a tight appearance. 

2. Once the lower section of hair had the desired texture, attention is turned to the top section. First, a ghd platinum+ styler is used to smooth the hair – this is essential to give the ponytail its sleek and tight appearance. 

3. Next, a fine-toothed comb is pulled back through the hair, from the front to the off-centre point at the back of the head where the sections meet, and the outcome is that of someone running their fingers through their hair. 

4. Once the top and bottom sections have come together, the ponytail is secured using black elastic, the length of it twisted and then twisted again in an upward direction as if (in Eugene’s words) it “recoils on itself”, before it is pinned to the head. 

5. The fact that the hair is supposed to look natural means that it is imperative that it does not look wet in any way. A ghd air hairdryer was vital when it came to perfecting each style. Once the twist was complete, a diffuser was used in conjunction with the ghd air to visibly soften the hair. 

6. The final touches to the look were in the form of headbands: one of which is plain and rakes through the hair, emphasising the grooves left by the comb.