Our Editor-at-Large, Fabian Hart, met Sidney based hair artist Fernnando Miranda on set in Los Angeles for our cover story with Troye Sivan. Working with performance artists is Miranda’s forté, he creates hairstyles for pop icons like Troye and entfant terrible Tommy Cash, actors such as „Vikings: Valhalla“ star Sam Corlett, and dancers like Rhys Kosakowski. For him, hair is an integral part of the body’s expression, designed for movement and transformation …
TUSH: From pop stars to athletes, the hairstyles you create often carry a performance element of their own.
Fernnando Miranda: Indeed! From cut to styling, the hair I tend to design is often performative somehow. I like to create coherent silhouettes that complement facial features, proportionally. I’ve always been obsessed with anatomy, and I like to think of hair as a live extension of the human body, which informs identity and individuality. It goes beyond trends or reflections of the times. When styling hair, I’m all about the refined, timeless and effortless vibes. I feel lucky that I often get to style the shapes I craft, it feels correct. From photography studios to runways and magazines, from live concerts and tennis courts to red carpets, I love placing my work on stages, whichever kind it may be. My people, the ones who believe in my vision, without exception, access their hair in order to express themselves, and communicate, everyday, in their artistic journeys. Refined yes, yet never forced or contrived, It must be effortless. I strongly believe that holds space for one’s essence to come to life.
TUSH: What does “effortless hair” by Fernando look like?
Fernnando: A silhouette that hugs one’s skull shape, both cut and styling wise. That, combined with a timeless expression, whichever it may be long or short, soft or punchy, is a fabulous combination in my eyes. Hydration also. Hydrated hair pretty much has a voice of its own. It’s the fusion of a coherent haircut, freely refined via the right styling, looking touchable and relatable.
TUSH: It’s like the hair equivalent of the no-makeup look – effortless yet intentional.
Fernnando: I grew up in the 1090ies in São Paulo, Brazil, and my mom used to say “Primeiro o dever, depois o prazer’, ‘work first, fun later’. That sense of order and structure stuck with me for life, and I subconsciously apply that to my processes everyday. It’s no different with hair. Just before I style, I love organizing the hair by mildly combing brushing, at times with my hands only. It’s an informative process that guides me on how much I can mold it, how far I may push it by enhancing it with the right products, before it looks unintentional. This intuitive time informs me on how to work with the natural movement. Effortlessness also derives from movement. I love hair that looks touchable. I love watching the hair I create sort of evolve into a more vulnerable state in the performative moment, such as when on a photoshoot, hence why I ensure to apply the right amount of the right products to mostly enhance and not completely erase the natural texture of the hair, preserving a form of their identity. The styling I do is most definitely calculated, taking the brief into consideration. Yet I never neglect the fact that I’m creating for a human being first and foremost, so my main rule is that it must feel as pleasant as it looks. That will certainly evoke the right energy for the hair performance per say.
TUSH: In your opinion, who is wearing the most exciting hair in music right now? Let’s narrow it down to a top 3.
Fernnando: I say Robyn, Grimes and Troye, of course! And it’s not just now that they have been killing it – they have been for years. And thank heavens for FKA Twigs and Jacques for keeping it real and elevated, consistently celebrating authenticity.
TUSH: Can you elaborate on your choice?
Fernnando: There’s a strong shared sense of elevation and refinement, amongst Robyn, Grimes and Troye’s looks. Effortlessly cool, timeless, sexy hair. Their sense of uniqueness is fully realized, it’s clear in their music and their sense of style – naturally evolving in a very real way. I find their current choice of haircuts and the way their hair is often dressed very inspiring. Right now their hair is rich in texture and refined in shape – this honesty speaks volumes to me. I’m also obsessed with how far FKA Twigs has taken their current look. The contrast of the frontal half shaved insertion takes the back section styling to a whole new level. Jacques Vortex’ self inflicted male pattern baldness’ look, mimicking natural hair loss is beyond fun. That’s some serious posed questioning to what is in fact palatable yet conformist, and what is testing yet authentic. It’s very cool – a provocation of style.
Photo: Ariel Oscar Greith
TUSH: Most of the hair in your portfolio is styled on men, yet it moves beyond traditional men’s hairstyles. What excites you most about working with men’s hair?
Fernnando: There’s a slight nuance of camp that I crave which is expressed in how I style myself and I’ve noticed this has become sought out by my clients. These little details have become some of my signatures: how the mustache meets the lip, how facial hair may be slightly disconnected at a crucial junction on the cheekbone, the way a curl hugs the back of the neck. Growing up my uncle, who had the most luscious locks I had seen in a man at the time, would often let me play stylist. That was the first time I saw hair not only as hair, but a man expressing his beauty through his hair and in those formative years, that was both exciting and empowering. That classic, wavy, relaxed yet neat look gripped me and it still informs my cutting and styling to this day. The 1990ies were a time where men seemed to embrace more feminine and long styles, which would perfectly be offset by the masculine covering of occasional facial hair. It was quintessential 1990ies Vidal Sassoon.
TUSH: Does your work explore new expressions of masculinity?
Fernnando: Absolutely. I remember growing up watching this Spanish pop group perform on TV ‘Locomia’. I was always fascinated by how gloriously their styled locks would move in sync with them on stage while they performed with fans in hands, in perfectly fitted suits and wild shoulder pads. Their hair was the biggest statement, often intentionally designed to move, or perfectly sculpted, erected with gel and hair spray. They borrowed elements from the ballroom scene, and they would move their bodies with confidence, as well as their hair. It was so camp, yet so masculine – a perfect balance of flow and structure. Those were formative years for me, in which my sense of aesthetic started to develop. I create looks that soften and challenge inherited, rigid, dated masculinity aspects of oneself. ‘Christine and the Queens’ embodies that balance of energy for me. His hair choices often say a lot, and this is beyond merely aesthetics. So does Tommy Cash’s hair choices actually. I remember after I finished styling his tight, mid parted french braids at the Vivid Festival in Australia not long ago, he slipped into this slightly punk quilt look, and said he never felt so pretty and empowered.
