On Thursday 12 December Central Saint Martins presented RUNWILD, this year’s RESET spectacle where students unleashed their untamed potential. Turning the runway into a frenzy, humorously critiquing Central Saint Martins’ voyeuristic gaze of the fashion world, BA Fashion students showcased sustainability with high-fashion design. Backstage, led by hair director Jason Hall and co-lead Frazer Wallace, L’Oréal Professionnel prepared models with a ‘celebration of wild movement in hair’.
Joined by sixteen L’Oréal Professionnel ID Artists to prepare 190 models, Jason and team collaborated with the designers, tailoring each look to complement varying hair lengths and suit their overall look. The team proudly used L’Oréal Professionnel’s tecni.art range, with products like Pli, Fix Max, Fix Design, Volume Dust, and Infinium used to achieve the personalised hairstyles. The objective was to showcase product versatility and performance, with attention to individual hair needs and styling techniques. At the RESET show, each product served a distinct purpose, from foundational prep to a polished finish.
Speaking ahead of the show Jason commented: “We were inspired thinking of our models going out in the wind and rain; hair slightly wet at the front and getting bigger and bigger at the back. So short hair has got very minimal volume at the back and then, dependent on hair length, we’re putting more volume into it the longer it is. It’s a very simple look and our hero products are Pli and Volume Dust. We’ve gone through piles of the stuff.”
Discussing the collaboration process with the students, Jason also explained: “Some of the designers have been very specific about their looks and I’m open to that – so what started as about three variations of the look in reality has meant about ten variations. But it’s key that the designers are happy. We’ve got 190 models, and 190 designers which is not the norm compared to a typical fashion show, but everyone is wonderful.”
Frazer also shared: “With the brief being windswept and elemental, we want the models to look like they’re moving in the wind. The biggest challenge is the part that’s most rewarding – listening to the designers, receiving their input and collaborating from there. It’s a lot of fun.”
Witnessing herds of models break free in a frenzy that shatters limits of the runway, the show was an ode to the daring spirit and raw creativity that is Central Saint Martins Fashion. BA Fashion designs are made using Ultrasuede, which is 100% plant-based, and recycled materials from Elis proceed by LMB Textiles. After tireless months of meticulous sewing, cutting, and making, the garments were freed into the wild.
