Hair Director and KEVIN.MURPHY Pro Ambassador Eugene Souleiman are taking over fashion weeks around the world with breath-taking, fashion-forward hairstyles. Here we cover two A/W shows, Caroline Hu and Stella McCartney.
A Dark Romance in Motion: KEVIN.MURPHY Backstage at Caroline Hu AW26
For the Autumn/Winter 2026 presentation of Reverie by Caroline Hu, Eugene Souleiman created a sculptural hair look that balanced fragility with drama, echoing the emotional world of the collection.
Drawing inspiration from memory, softness, and the passage of time, Hu’s designs explored garments shaped by wear and sentiment — textiles built layer by layer into surfaces that appear delicate yet deeply considered.
Souleiman translated this narrative into hair that felt both romantic and unsettling, refined yet raw, as though caught between beauty and disarray.
“For me it’s about doing something that is kind of ethereal but also with a bit of drama to it,” says Souleiman. “I want it to look like she’s been chased through a haunted forest by a shadow she doesn’t understand but she knows it’s not good for her and she needs to get away.”
The resulting silhouette was towering and abstract, designed to appear fragile and slightly undone — as though it could fall apart at any moment. The structure began with two ponytails placed in unconventional positions, adjusted to each model depending on the length and natural movement of the hair. Hair donuts were used to create volume, with the ponytails threaded through the pads and wrapped in hair to conceal the structure beneath.
“There’s always a story in the hair,” Souleiman explains. “There’s a lot of romance in the clothes, but I want it to feel like a dark romance. Almost cinematic. Really refined but raw. I love when there’s dialogue in the hair — contradictions, mystery.”
Rather than perfecting the silhouette, the team intentionally left strands escaping the structure, allowing the edges to soften and frame the face. Crimped sections were introduced to create a light, frizzy texture that added depth and movement to the shape.
“We left the edges out because we wanted it to look softened, broken, worn,” Souleiman says. “Instead of tucking everything in, we let it fall loose and play with it so it frames the face.”
Texture played a central role in building the look. The hair was prepared using POWDER.PUFF, delivering grip and volume at the roots before being shaped into the sculptural silhouette. “The main product during prep was POWDER.PUFF to add volume and texture to the hair,” Souleiman explains.
To create the feeling of movement — as though the models had been running through a forest — the team used a hairdryer to disrupt the shape, encouraging pieces to separate naturally. Souleiman then applied SESSION.SPRAY through the airflow of the dryer, allowing the hairspray to crystallise as it met the hair and hold the structure in place without appearing wet or heavy.
“We sprayed the hairspray into the blast of air from the nozzle of the dryer so when it hit the hair it crystallised and held on contact,” he explains. “It gives hold without looking wet or greasy.”
Despite its fragile appearance, the look remained resilient throughout the presentation — even as the runway was reimagined through performance, with dancers replacing traditional models.
“I love the idea that the hair feels very delicate, almost about to fall apart,” Souleiman says. “There’s a preciousness to it, but they’re actually dancing in the presentation and the hair won’t fall apart. I love hair with emotion behind it.”
The Best Hair at Stella McCartney Started in the Shower
At Stella McCartney Winter 2026, the most important styling tool backstage wasn’t a brush, diffuser, or curling iron — it was the shower.
For the Paris runway presentation, Hair Director and KEVIN.MURPHY Pro Ambassador Eugene Souleiman built the look around preparation, restoring each model’s hair to its healthiest, most natural state before styling even began. The result was hair that felt effortless, confident, and unmistakably real — a reflection of the Stella McCartney woman herself.
The approach echoed the spirit of the collection, which traces Stella McCartney’s personal history while celebrating freedom, individuality, and a deep connection to nature. Rather than imposing a rigid hairstyle, the hair direction embraced the individuality of each model’s texture.
“The hair was a real mixture of everything — products and techniques,” Souleiman says. “The one thing about doing such natural hair for this show is clean hair. We started the show mid-day, so the girls have probably done two or three shows before ours, which means there’s an overlay of products.”
Backstage, the focus shifted from styling to care. Models arrived with layers of product from earlier shows, so the team began by cleansing, balancing, and hydrating the hair — an approach that reflects KEVIN.MURPHY’s philosophy of treating hair with the same attention as skincare.
Each model’s hair was assessed individually, with washes and treatments selected according to texture and condition. For porous, thick, or curly hair, the team used PLUMPING.WASH and PLUMPING.RINSE to hydrate and even porosity while creating a fuller base, while BLOW.DRY WASH and RINSE helped the hair dry smoothly while maintaining natural movement and body.
“For girls with porous, thick, curly hair, we washed their hair with PLUMPING.WASH and PLUMPING.RINSE,” Souleiman explains. “For the girls that had a lot of product on their hair from before, we used MAXI.WASH to remove everything and reset the hair.”
Once cleansed, lightweight treatments helped refine the hair’s natural texture without overwhelming it. STAYING.ALIVE was used to help balance porosity, protect against humidity, and enhance movement, while in some cases the team prepared the hair with NIGHT.SHIFT, KEVIN.MURPHY’s overnight hydrating serum. Inspired by skincare, the treatment works while the hair rests, delivering hydration and softness so the natural texture appears healthier and easier to style the following day.
With the foundation set, styling remained intentionally minimal. ANTI.GRAVITY was worked through the hair to enhance lift and texture, allowing the natural shape of the hair to guide the final look.
“After that we went in with ANTI.GRAVITY to bring out texture, create a little volume and hold,” Souleiman says. “Pretty much everything was washed and air-dried with these products in the hair.”
To finish, the team simply encouraged movement and body by diffusing the hair upside down, creating a soft lift at the roots without disturbing the natural texture.
“Afterwards we put the head upside down and diffused it. That was really it. It was about shaking the hair, looking fabulous, having a natural yet elevated and a bit sexier texture.” The result captured a relaxed, confident attitude — hair that looked polished without appearing styled.
“I would describe the hair just like a cool girl’s hair,” Souleiman says. “It’s not that ‘I don’t do anything because I can’t be bothered.’ Rather, it’s ‘this just looks great, so I’ll wear it like this.’”
The inspiration for the look came from Stella McCartney’s own references to the effortless glamour of the 1970s. “The hair was inspired by Stella’s mum in the ’70s,” Souleiman adds. “Very natural, effortless, but still looking cool and chic.”