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“If you want to stay at the bottom, you should see others as competitors, but if you’re going to get to the top, you need to work with people you collaborate with.”

Benjamin Martin

What country are you from, and where do you reside?

Melbourne, Australia

Title of what you do and if you are aligned with a brand or company. Education background (school, salons, self-taught)?

Creative Director, XVI Collective.

I used to run a more traditional salon model, but now I run a shared creative space.

I was educated as an apprentice in a small country town outside of Melbourne. Once qualified, I moved to Melbourne for two years. Then, the dream of rockstar hairdressing took me to London. These years, it has been more about learning traditional salon hairdressing techniques.

Upon moving back to Melbourne, I discovered editorial/photoshoot hairdressing. This ignited a creative spark about the creative opportunities in hairdressing outside the salon. I balanced my time between in-salon clients and editorial shoots, elevating my technical styling abilities. This was all trial and error on the job, teaching myself as I went along. This led to my education for two brands: Kevin Murphy in Australia and Redken, both domestically and internationally.

In 2018, I decided to dip my toes in collections and competitions. I have produced a collection every year since. Teaching myself through trial and error, I feel learning from mistakes works for me as I’m not bound by a technique I have been taught, and I enjoy the limitless creativity of discovery. My last two collections have taken a more “what’s possible” approach. The techniques I’m implementing are from something other than the word hair, or even sometimes fashion, for that matter.

What is the first creative project that you remember?

I was on a date with a girl. A student photographer from the local university approached us and asked if she would model for him. We talked, and I told him I was interested in that space of editorial hair. The first shoot I ever did, I did a braid with jumbo weave all the way to the floor. That sparked in me the idea that hair, like fashion, does not always have to be “ready to wear” but can also be an expressive medium for art.

What is the signature style/artistic expression of your work?

At the moment, I feel my signature is creating looks that make people ask, “How was that done?” I want them to ask what was used and if it is real. At the moment, I find myself having ideas that are like problems. Can I find a solution to create that idea I have? Overall, I feel my expression is more sculptural through hair.

What is the most fulfilling job you’ve worked on or someone you have worked with?

The most fulfilling job/person I’ve worked on/with is working as an assistant to Lindsey Olsen at the Redken Symposium in Las Vegas in 2019. Not only was it an excellent stepping stone as an artist for Redken, which led to me being onstage working alongside Redken’s global artists the following year in Miami, but it also gave me a fantastic connection with someone I would consider to be an incredibly closed friend and one of my biggest supporters in Lindsey. If you want to stay at the bottom, you should see others as competitors, but if you’re going to get to the top, you need to work with people you collaborate with, and Lindsey has been that person to me for the last five years.

Do you have a career turning point, big break, or person who has helped your career?

My career turning point would be entering collection competitions and not winning. You have that initial moment of sadness/disappointment; you can dwell on that or use it as fuel. Didn’t win, go again. Honestly critique your work; it’s never perfect, so be honest about where you can improve. Also, make it about the journey of creating art and your artistic expression, not anything else. Fill your cup and take joy in the process. Once I realized these things, it opened up bandwidth mentally for more creative freedom and ingenuity.

What was the scariest and proudest moment in your career?

The scariest moment was packing my bags and moving to London by myself—or, actually, the time my first employee left. Not only was I emotionally shattered, but I was terrified I was going to lose my relatively young salon/business at the time.

Proudest would be the day I opened my salon. I had renovated and decorated it and even laid the flooring myself. That was 15 years ago, but I still remember sitting there after my first day and thinking, wow, I actually did it.

Getting emails to work globally for Redken, that I had a spot working fashion weeks in Paris, New York, etc. of Guido Palau’s team, and winning/finalst in awards have all been amazing, but having a space of my own filled my heart the most.

What is next for your career goals?

I used to think I wanted to win or be a finalist in as many competitions as possible so people could see my art. But I realized I don’t have to win for that to happen. Art in competition is subjective. You don’t have to win to see it, love it, hate it, or be inspired by it. My next career goal is to push my understanding of things I’m already capable of even further. I just want to keep finding joy in what I’m doing.

What advice would you give to someone starting your business?

Dedication is key. Build up your hours to build experience; it takes over a thousand hours to master a skill.

Also, be open to different avenues in hairdressing. There are so many facets to explore: salon, editorial, competition, education. You can focus on one or dip your hand into multiple all at once. This is an incredible industry that affords us so many opportunities. We can apply foils and be social workers one day, shoot a collection the next, work fashion week in Paris, and educate a class with the experience we have earned the next.

Instagram: @benmartinhair @salonxvi

Website: www.xvicollective.com.au

www.benmartinhair.com.au

FABRIC

It was meandering through the grand spaces of the National Gallery of Victoria in early January 2023 that would ignite not an idea, theme or story for Benjamin Martin’s latest hair collection. But an entirely new creative process.

Martin’s collection, Fabric, breaks down our formal understanding of what hair is and how it moves. Rather than a collection of complete hair looks and predetermined styles, Fabric explores hair as matter, almost elemental. What if hair wasn’t hair? What if we view hair as fabric or cloth, like a designer?

At the NGV’s McQueen Mind Mythos Muse exhibition, Martin learnt of McQueen’s unique creative process. McQueen would sketch out various clothing designs. He would attach cloth and fabric swatches to the sketches to create a more physical adaptation of his creation. His collections started with one garment and evolved from there.

“This year, I really wanted to test myself. I completely changed the way I approached this shoot. Instead of thinking about creating six individual hair looks, I started with one and let the processes and story evolve from there, “ says Martin. “It was a risky move, but I really leaned into it. It felt more like play and gave me the freedom to explore, test and try.”

Playing on the Fabric theme, texture, shape, cut and colour all play a part in creating a harmonious story. Martin used epoxy techniques in the hair to create gravity-defying shapes and high-shine finishes that appeared like silk. Patchwork detailing can be seen through jagged cuts and rough placements in the hair. This is also reflected in fashion styling, which mixes raw denim, metallic accents, and tactile fabrics.

Martin used moulding techniques of style, glue, and heat repeat to add a unique definition. “This was a go-with-your-gut type of hair styling. I cut random sections off mannequin heads and layered pieces into the looks to create new textures or for it to resemble linen, cotton, or something plush,” says Martin.

The textural lens was also applied to the editing process. Martin and his team played with soft, papery and grainy finishing effects to dial up the fabric quality. McQueen’s artistic expression was channelled through fashion. For Martin, hair is his medium.

GLASS

Glass possesses the unique properties of transmitting, reflecting, and refracting light, which artists have long harnessed to create stunning visual effects. By manipulating its transparency, colour, and texture, it can craft an ever-changing and captivating experience for viewers.

Benjamin Martin’s latest collection, “Glass,” explores these characteristics by applying them to hair. The result is six hair creations showcasing variable textures and amorphous shapes that create captivating optical illusions with light and hair.

The concept for this collection began with an innovative technique used in Martin’s striking green wings look from his award-winning 2023 AHFA collection, “Fabric.” Inspired by this technique’s high shine and strong hold, Martin felt compelled to explore its potential further. This creative spark was reignited on a flight back from Sydney following his victory as the AHFA Victorian Hairdresser of the Year 2023. The idea of blending hair with glass emerged, offering endless possibilities to push the boundaries of hair artistry.

This collection culminates techniques and discoveries developed through trial and error. A significant source of inspiration came from an annual visit to the National Gallery of Victoria, where the “Triennial” exhibition sparked new ideas. Immersed in the creativity of art, painting, sculpture, and installations, Martin envisioned how these elements could be translated into the medium of hair.

To bring the glass theme to life, Martin experimented extensively with the combination of hair and glass, employing several innovative techniques:

Creating sheets of “glass” with embedded hair, then smashing them to achieve a fractured, broken glass effect.

Crafting a ponytail that appeared to be formed using glass blowing by moulding and manipulating a product that mimicked the shine and transparency of glass.

The illusion of coloured swirls in glass, similar to a “Cat’s Eye” marble, is developed by swirling hair to maintain form and shine.

Using glass balls on hair to replicate the appearance of raindrops on a glass window requires methods to stiffen hair to support the weight of real glass beads.

Encapsulating a head within a glass orb gives the impression of floating and swirling hair, inspired by vase-making techniques and involving significant trial and error.

Creating masks and orbs with the transparency of glass, infused with hair, incorporating vase-making knowledge and delicate jewellery-making tools.

This collection represents an evolution in Martin’s capabilities, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in hair styling. It merges hair, art, and sculpture uniquely and experimentally, showcasing continuous growth and innovation in his work.

The aim is for viewers to experience a sense of awe and wonder, questioning how these looks were achieved while appreciating the authenticity and artistry. The collection is designed to provoke thought and inspire, leaving the techniques a mystery to maintain the allure and magic of the creations.