Spanish stylist and contemporary hairdresser Alexis Ferrer has been known for creating otherworldly hairstyles during his career of over 20 years, but he has changed the fashion trends with his innovative technique of vibrant photographic printing on human hair, which has never been used before. It took years to develop until it opened a possibility to recreate complex and precise colorful designs and graphically tell a story on hair without having to dye it or use stencils.
Ferrer showcased his technique in his most recent renowned collection called La Favorite that combines his passion for technology, art, and nature in delicate and romantic hairstyles. The collection was inspired by the beautiful natural patterns of "the best fabrics for the French bourgeoisie during the XVIII century."
Spanish stylist and hairdresser Alexis Ferrer has developed an innovative technique of hair printing that has never been attempted before
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Alexis Ferrer was the first hairdresser to ever try printing on hair, and it took a lot of time and experimenting to develop this technique.
"In 2012, I started to print pictures on the hair because I wanted to represent the dreams on the hair. I think that to decorate the hair by having pictures printed will be the future. Because I love to mix traditional art and technology," Ferrer told Bored Panda.
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Ferrer got the idea of printing on hair for the first time in 2012 when he was asked to do a show representing one of their collections, Echo, at the International Trend Vision Awards by Wella Professionals. As the collection was meant to show the deepest and darkest part of people's inner world, Ferrer decided to reflect that graphically on the models' hair. Inspired by classic horror movies like The Shining and Psycho, he attempted to imprint their protagonists on hair that covered models' faces.
During 080 Barcelona Fashion Week 2017, Ferrer collaborated with the designer Txell Miras and printed black and white portraits of fishermen faces on hair extensions.
Since 2012, he has been experimenting with hair as a canvas for printing and in 2020, he released the gorgeous, baroque-inspired La Favorite collection
Image credits: alexisferrer01
After working on perfecting the quality of printing and color intensity, Ferrer went from the prints made with photographic ink to digital and presented his achievements in an awe-inspiring new collection called La Favorite in July of 2020.
"La Favorite Collection was created using the digital printing technique on hair. I started to use this technique in 2012 and since then I’ve been developing the technique until I achieved better resolution and a more colorful palette. The idea was to represent patterns on the hair like we do on fabrics. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a biologist and I’m in love with everything related to nature."
Image credits: alexisferrer01
La Favorite Collection was inspired by the best fabrics for the French bourgeoisie during the XVIII century
Image credits: alexisferrer01
"The inspiration comes from the French history of art. Strolling through the gardens of palaces in France was a common activity in the 18th century. Flowers and animals did inspire couturiers to create the best fabrics for the French bourgeoisie during the XVIII century. Those prints didn’t only magnify the extraordinary dresses of the past, but were used to cover the walls and tapestries of the villas."
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
The models' sharp blond bobs are decorated with delicate natural motifs such as flowers, berries, butterflies, and birds
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
The Barcelona-based artist loves combining traditional art and technology and has always been inspired by nature
Image credits: alexisferrer01
"New technology and techniques allow us to recreate those wonderful patterns on the hair and give a sense of decoration to our beauty with natural motifs. It allows us to dream, to create, and to fly."
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
La Favorite went viral and gained him international recognition as well as the title of Spanish Hairdresser of The Year
Image credits: alexisferrer01
After his collection went viral, Ferrer won two awards—Spanish Hairdresser of the Year and Best Video Production—at the Figaro Awards. Later, La Favorite was a finalist at the UK's top competition, the British Hairdressing Awards. The artist's work has also inspired Hollywood celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton to recreate his own floral design on Jennifer Lopez.
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
The artist believes that mixing technology with our knowledge of crafts "opens up a world of infinite possibilities for the future”
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Image credits: alexisferrer01
Alexis Ferrer's inventive approach to hair styling, specifically using photography-inspired techniques, echoes a broader trend of celebrating natural beauty and diversity in creative arts. Similarly, CreativeSoul's visual storytelling captures the essence of embracing one's unique aesthetic qualities.
For more insights on how hair can be a powerful tool for representation and empowerment, explore the captivating portraits by CreativeSoul Photography that illuminate the beauty of natural hair.