5 Movies With Iconic Hair
TV and cinema have huge impacts on the culture of hair. Take Jennifer Aniston in Friends for example, with a medium length, face framed cut that became so iconic, that it is still called “The Rachel” to this day. In this blog post I will go over 5 of my favorite movies where the hair stood out to me in one way or another. Not all of these movies are specifically about hair, but the hair in these movies had a big impact on me.
Once you've been doing hair long enough, you develop what I call “hair brain”. Everywhere you go and in everything you see, you are looking at the hair first; wondering how they must have styled it, editing things here and there, or visualizing how you would approach their hair if you were to work on them. I’m sure many stylists can relate, but once you've got hair brain it is really hard to turn it off. If you're anything like me, then I strongly suggest watching (or rewatching) these movies and enjoying the hair as much as I do.
Barbie (2023)
This movie is the reason I decided to write this blog post. You'd have to be living under a rock if you haven't seen or at least heard of this movie yet. I went into the movie not really knowing anything about what it was going to be about and was overjoyed with how beautiful and satisfying it was aesthetically. The colors, the characters, the set design, all of it was so well crafted making such a fun and impactful story. And of course, my eyes were drawn to the hair in every single scene. This movie is like candy if you have “hair brain”. I knew I would be hooked when in the initial scene of the movie, Barbie wakes up with a perfect half-up look with a headband (that if any normal person woke up with, it would a disaster), steps into the shower with an effortless bun with bangs, and comes out with an entirely other half-up look (sans the headband). As though she switches to other versions of Barbie seamlessly, changing shape and length as needed for each outfit. The attention to detail brought to every iconic Barbie look is unmatched.
What I didn't know is how much work went into perfecting Barbie’s iconic golden tresses for each and every scene. The lead stylist for the movie, Ivana Primorac explains that certain pink or magenta tones in Barbie’s clothing would clash with the blonde, so every hairstyle had to be toned for each look individually. In an interview with The Tease, Primorac says this was all possible by having 18 different wigs, and 30 different hair pieces allowing Primorac to control each look with more ease. My personal favorite hair look is the pink cowgirl Barbie outfit. Especially, in the scene when she is running around the Mattel headquarters. It’s an insane amount of platinum hair, in a gorgeous long-layered cut with a heavier fringe, that is just so simple and beautiful and looks perfect in every shot, even when she is full-on sprinting.
B*A*P*S (1997)
It would be a crime to not include B*A*P*S ( Black American Princesses) on this list. In a time when images of Black women with sculpted, greased, perfectly crafted updos dominated the hair scene; B*A*P*S takes this to a whole new level. This movie takes the mega star Halle Berry, who at the time was known for her signature short pixie hair, and gives her larger-than-life yellow-blonde updos. One of which is an impossibly sculpted cylinder of yellow-blonde hair decorated in stones and interlocking tresses sitting almost a foot high off of her head placed on some textured fringe and mass of curls. In the same scene, co-star Natalie Desselle-Ried sports a massive, curly beehive covered in rhinestones and supported by three large fans of brunette hair that at first glance is almost too much to comprehend, only before she turns around to reveal the word “Boo-Yow!” spelled out in gold letters across the fans of hair.
I will never forget the scene where Nisi (Halle Berry), wearing an elegant, finger wave-esque sculpted updo, is styling Mickey (Natalie Desselle-Ried)’s hair into pom pom ponytails, which I would consider one of the 90’s most iconic and recognizable hairstyles ever. Key hair designer Kim Kimble credits her work on this film to launching her career. Pair that with a plot centered around the two women wanting to open the world's first hair salon/soul food restaurant hybrid and you struck hair gold.
The Fifth Element (1997)
Another 1997 classic like the previous film on the list, this futuristic sci fi-fantasy film leaves nothing behind when it comes to visual appeal and aesthetics. With costumes designed by the legendary Jean-Paul Gaultier, meticulously crafted and challenging gender norms and modesty, there needs to be some amazing hair to match. From Gary Oldman's character with a side shaved head covered in a plastic shield with a tuft of long black hair falling out of it, to futuristic space-stewardesses all sporting the same 1920’s inspired platinum bob offsetting their cobalt blue uniforms, this movie is incredibly dynamic and interesting.
Despite each look being iconic in its own right, there are two standouts for me in this film. One would obviously be the main character Leeloo (played by Milla Jovovich) with a blunt bob that somehow looks unkempt with faux-dreads while also being an impossible shade of blazing orange. According to Glamour, Hair Stylist Ward Stegerhoek (long-time collaborator with Gaultier) persuaded Jovovich to dye her hair the radioactive, almost alien shade.
The other being Chris Tucker’s character, Ruby Rhod, who wears a few different outrageous hairstyles; but particularly his short textured blonde hair that all gathers in front of the head into an odd, hollow cylinder jutting from the front of his forehead. You would be challenged to find a film with as many innovative and eccentric inspirations than this film.
Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)
A ‘new wave’ French drama film from 1962, directed by Agnes Varda, is a movie I would generally consider a must-watch. On a random date with my fiance to Brain Dead Studios here in Los Angeles, we walked into this film blind and were welcomed by a cinema masterpiece, exploring themes of existentialism and despair draped over a beautiful and dynamic view of 1960s France. It’s a window into the past as you travel through a day in the life of Cléo (played by Carinne Marchand). The film only takes place over the course of one day but you can see all the styles and fashion of the time as Cleo drives and buses all over the city to cafes, retail stores, and parks with a plethora of bypassers.
It’s an interesting view into the decade and especially into fashion and hair of the time. There is a particular scene where Cléo reveals the short curly hair she was wearing the first half of the day is a wig that she rips off of almost identical hair, only that is now smooth down instead.
Watch this film not only as a timeless classic but also a micro lesson on french hairstyles and fashion of the 1960s (Although not related to hair, I’m still blown away by some of the driving/car scenes in this film as well).
Ms. Doubtfire (1993)
Much like the previous film on this list , this early 90’s comedy-drama serves as a window into a time that has passed. Having won an Academy Award for hair and makeup and been nominated for several other Hair and Makeup awards, it's hard to deny this movie brings a lot to the visual department. Especially considering the work is done by key hair stylist Yolanda Toussieng, the artist behind another iconic hair film, Edward Scissorhands. Everyone in this film is just SO 90s.The film had Pierce Brosnan, for instance, with his perfect dark-haired quiff. The costuming clearly spent a lot of time detailing the hair for this film. From the make-over scene including a Barbara Striesand replica lob, to the masterfully sculpted and laid wig that Euphegenia Doubtfire (Robin Williams) wears that is yanked off and thrashed repeatedly, yet looks perfect in every scene.
Oddly enough, my favorite hair in the film is the perfectly blown-out, feathered bob worn by Sally Field. Maybe it's just me, but I swear her bob in the movie slowly gets better and better in every scene, with it looking the absolute best in the scene when she notices Ms. Doubtfire on the tv. If you watch this film sometime soon, take note of Sally’s hair and let me know if you agree.
From Barbieland to France, blonde updos to brown bobs, those are 5 of my favorite movies with iconic hair. Stay tuned for future updates as I will be going over my favorite hair moments in television, media specifically about the subject of hair, as well as more of my favorite memorable scenes in movies featuring hair.
What are some hair scenes in movies that you enjoy? What are some characters with iconic hair that impacted you? I would love to hear from you.