HJ INSPIRATION
BEHIND THE LENS Rereligion
Darren Ambrose shares the story behind his collection, Rereligion
What do you love about this collection?
I shot this for my 2018 British Hairdresser of the Year nomination. What I love is that it feels individualistic and free. It isn’t tied down by a trend or era. We aged the imagery in black and white to give it that timeless quality. Some of the looks are quite extreme,but they carry a beauty you can’t pin to one time in hairdressing. I shot this with my great friend, Jenny Hands - she creates such beautiful, classic shots, and working with her made the process even more special.
What was the inspiration for the hair?
At the time, this story touched on religion, which was perhaps a little controversial, but for me it was about how religion can sometimes feel dictatorial or restrictive. We wanted to show women in those realms (the control and the strictness) and the moment they remove the garments and reveal who they really are. That’s where the freedom came in, and it was magical to explore that with such a creative team.
How did you go about setting up the shoot?
We worked with eight models over two days and I had a set built, with an artist hand-painting the backdrop. I wanted a specific tone and texture to the canvas. I like my shoots relaxed – no big crowds, just cool music, the right people, and space to get into the vibe. JC, our make-up artist, has worked with us on shows and is brilliant. I’d give him a character and he’d bring it to life.
The styling was by Anne Shore and my wife Jackie, who created garments on the day, making pieces directly onto the models’ bodies. That’s true styling to me.
Did anything go wrong or surprise you on the day?
The big surprise was the story itself evolving. We were going to shoot in colour, and Jenny did, but then she flipped it into black and white; suddenly it became something else entirely. The shadows, the contrast, the mood… it gave the whole thing more substance. Dark, mysterious, poetic, but beautiful. The same hair and shapes, but told as a completely different story.
Do you have a significant memory from the day?
It was quite extravagant for us to shoot over two days. We all got into this zone together, and when we saw the eight images side by side at the end, it was emotional. You could really feel the story. For me, that’s what it’s all about - being with your people, the right people, and creating magic together. That’s when things just happen.