Through the eyes of fashion enthusiasts and attendees, London Fashion Week presents itself as a series of perfectly organised catwalks, presentations and events. So, it’s easy to forget there’s a hidden world of chaos, hard work, and exceptional attention to detail taking place behind the scenes – and not just by the designers.
From makeup artists to hairstylists and nail technicians, the backstage beauty teams work tirelessly to complete each season’s looks, helping to shape the industry’s next trends.
Hairstylist Anna Cofone is just one of the creatives behind some of fashion week’s biggest hair looks. When she’s not styling the likes of Lana Del Rey or Dua Lipa, she is working with designers on shows across London, Paris, Milan and New York.
In this interview with TheIndustry.beauty, Cofone speaks about the backstage buzz of London Fashion Week, how she collaborates with different designers to create looks, what brands she is working with this season, and more.
Born in England to Southern Italian parents, Cofone trained in performing arts and sang in a band before moving into the world of hairdressing. Her journey began with a deep love for storytelling, as growing up with a father who had impaired vision, she learned to describe the world to him in vivid detail – sparking her creativity.
“My dad was a musician and music was one of his greatest loves and escapism’s when he lost his sight. I have always been drawn to performance, music and fashion – and hairdressing has been an extraordinary route for me to pull these creativities together,” Cofone tells TheIndustry.beauty.
While studying performing arts, part of the course covered theatre hair and makeup, which fuelled her desire to explore this further.
Following this, Cofone trained under the director Eamonn Borham at Haringtons. “I was so lucky to have been trained by him alongside other amazing hair cutters including Esti Carton, Darren Baines and Louise Maxwell. Through their support, I qualified quickly and also assisted Eamonn and the art team on all the photographic shoots for the salon group,” she reveals.
Cofone worked her way up to art director, and within that time, won the L’Oreal Under 25 Hairdresser of the Year award, which she says really triggered her interest again in editorial hair. She left Haringtons and moved to London to pursue a freelance career as a session stylist and got her first opportunity to assist at London Fashion Week with Sam McKnight and then Eugene Souleiman.
“I assisted them at London, Milan and Paris Fashion Week for three years, whilst also testing with different photographers and stylists.”
Having led her first show for Sudanese designer Omer Asim in 2017, Cofone has since continued to make her mark on the industry, bringing her talents to many subsequent fashion weeks.
“I absolutely love fashion week and the lead up to it. Being a part of the designer’s vision, understanding who they want their cast to look and feel like when they walk the runway, and executing the look is the most intense but creatively dynamic experience,” she says.
Preparation can take anything between two weeks and two days, depending on the designer and how soon they can share their vision.
“Fashion week is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s all about asking the right questions. My job is to dig deep, piece together the creative puzzle and bring out the vision. If something goes wrong, I know that I haven’t asked enough questions. Being informed is essential and it’s how I bring my client’s vision to a reality,” Cofone explains.
“The mood and identity of the hair I create emerge so organically, driven by the questions I ask, such as Who’s the character? What’s the story we are telling? It is this deep exploration that shapes the hair look for each show. My work is all about the designer’s vision and never about aligning, bound or answering to trends.
“I also still find inspiration from people like Gary Gill, Anthony Turner, Sam McKnight, and Eugene Souleiman. I adore seeing other people’s work and questioning how they came to create the looks – their work reminds me that mastery is a lifelong journey.”
The process can be very collaborative; in some situations, the designer will share an idea, a mood and include several images to draw inspiration from. Meanwhile, others may have a very specific idea in mind, so it’s a case of bringing their exact vision to life.
Preparation is also important when it comes to Cofone’s styling essentials. Last season, alongside Authentic Beauty Concept, she worked with Chet Lo, Holzweiler, Roksanda and Sinéad O’Dwyer.
Each show was a celebration of diversity and creativity, showcasing hairstyles that were as unique and authentic as the collections.
“I used Authentic Beauty Concept’s premium vegan products to bring each vision to life,” she recalls. “A couple of essentials for me include the Glow Spray Serum for the vibrancy of colour and glassy-shine and the Nymph Texture Spray for creating grit and dimension.
For Chet Lo (pictured above), Cofone crafted three futuristic hair concepts, from sleek helmut shapes to striking spikes using Authentic Beauty Concept’s Strong Hold Hairspray, in crafting avant-garde styles. Meanwhile, Roksanda’s catwalk was enhanced by sleek hair looks where Authentic Beauty Concept’s Hydrate Spray Conditioner helped to add healthy, dimensional shine that captured the essence of luxury contrasted against the collection’s intricate designs.
“I think Chet Lo and Roksanda were standout. For Chet Lo, the hair felt entirely true to his vision and the designer’s ethos and even became an extension of fabric, textures and patterns from the colours. That alignment is what makes a collaboration meaningful,” she adds.
Continuing her partnership with a number of these brands, also as Global Creative Advocate for Concept at Authentic Beauty Concept, Cofone is working with Chet Lo, Erdem and Roksanda and SS Daley at London Fashion Week this season. TheIndustry.beauty eagerly anticipates what these different looks will have in store.
As for the season’s wider looks, Cofone anticipates a celebration of individuality; looks that feel bold and unapologetic, and anti-feminine. “I think we also might see some micro fringes and maybe some more graphic and architectural shapes,” she predicts.
“Reflecting the social and political climate, I’m wondering if anti-predictable, anti-conventional, but always striking looks will also be a theme, as well as short wigs, which might make their way onto the fashion week runways, adding a playful yet dramatic element.
“To be honest though, we often see multiple looks across all fashion weeks. For me, it’s less about a trend and more about a mood or feeling and this can heavily lean into the season that we are showing.”
Kicking off with S.S. Daley on Friday morning, Cofone shares her excitement for London Fashion Week. “I feel it is the most creative of all the fashion weeks and embracing of young designers. It is such a melting pot of new gen and experimental collections but also more established and polished ones,” she finishes. We can’t wait to see her looks!
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