Jasmine flowers and extremely long hair were the starting points for Gabriel de Fries’ work on Matières Fécales’ Spring/Summer 2027 show in Paris.
On Volume Up by The Tease, Gabriel de Fries explains how that brief became a statement and what it took to bring the hair to life.
Building a Shared Vision
Fries’ relationship with the designers began on a photo shoot and strengthened through years of working together. That history gave them a shared language with room for interpretation.
For Matières Fécales’ Spring/Summer 2027 show in Paris, hair contributed to a story of Family, Tribe, and God. Fries’ connected the extreme length to the significance that hair carries across cultures.
“It’s a very collective job, I think,” he said.
Creating Length That Moves
To create the floor-length wigs, Fries’ braided sections at the back of each piece and sewed extensions around them to build out the length. He then removed excess bulk and refined the layers to give the hair a lighter, more natural movement.
Rehearsals became an essential part of that process. Watching the models walk allowed him to assess how each look held its shape in motion and make final adjustments before the show.
The products needed to offer versatility, too. Fries’ team used As I Am’s Rosemary Water to prep the cast’s different textures, while Uberliss hairspray provided flexible hold throughout styling.
Leading the Work Backstage
With 99 models and a tight preparation window, Fries’ relied on a producer and two additional hair leads to keep the work moving across two locations. That structure helped the team handle late arrivals while he focused on final adjustments.
The preparation served a larger purpose: making the hair part of the world the designers created.
“Fashion has always been dreams,” Fries’ said.
He hopes more designers will give hairstylists space to show what they can do, allowing their work to contribute more fully to a collection’s story.
For a closer look at the work behind the runway, listen to the full episode of Volume Up by The Tease wherever you pod. Follow @readthetease and @volumeupbythetease for more.
