Blown away by the kings of avant garde

Last night I was completely blown away at the Fellowship for British Hairdressing's Kings of Avant Garde Power Night.

Avant garde hairdressing isn't always my cup of tea - give me a beautifully cut purdy or a perfectly finished updo any day of the week - but Michael Barnes and Robert Masciave were incredible!

The pair of them opened up about how they come up with their ideas - Robert uses a sliding scale that combines elements of sex, beauty, the macabre and fun - and how they bring those ideas to life.

It can take more than two weeks to create a single look and the process involves building molds, mixing chemicals, coating hair in gelatin and hours of time blending the head piece with the model's own hair.

Michael is famed for his underwater shoots and he revealed that he actually uses lead in those head pieces to stop them floating to the top!

After showcasing some of their looks, the pair took part in a Q&A during which Michael joked that he was considering going for the World Record for the tallest hair-do and Robert said he'd try to compete with him.

They may have said it in jest, but if the Barnes v Masciave hair-off were to happen, I'd love to be there - not sure who I'd have my money on though.