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Charlie le Minddu SS10

It bags and statement shoes are soooo last season. Now it’s all about wigs. But not just any old wigs darlings, I’m talking about Charlie Le Mindu’s outlandish creations- enormous, towering wigs, that light up, resemble lips or trail into coats, dresses and skirts. These wigs are not for the faint hearted, by any means. 

Fresh from ‘Girls Of Paradise’, his second show at London Fashion Week (showing as part of BLOW presents alongside Iris Van Herpen and Gemma Slack) Mr Le Mindu is building something of a reputation for himself. His SS10 collection is, as you would expect is characteristically flamboyant, inspired by the juxtaposition of nature’s beauty and city architecture- oversized collars are paired with skin tight latex, and enormous wigs became outfits, where it’s impossible to tell where wig ends and clothing begins. The look is completed with towering platforms, certainly not something suitable for a quick trip to the post office, but Le Mindu’s refusal to bend to a more commercial design aesthetic is certainly to be applauded.

With each wig taking around 200 hours, and up to 10 assistants to create, his garments are as audacious as the designer himself - apparently he told a PETA animal rights activist, who dared to complain about his use of rat pelts, that he would turn her vagina into earrings.

Born in Bergerac, France, Le Mindu started styling Barbie dolls hair when he was just 13 years old, progressing to elaborate coiffures at the French Hair Academy. Following a stint in Berlin, where he developed a ‘pop-up salon’ (cutting, blow-drying and styling) at the Modular club nights, he moved to London to cement his place amongst the hairdressing greats.

Keen to emphasise that he is not a milliner, or a creator of fabulous hats, but that the wigs reflect his style of hairdressing and his love of all things freakish and fantastical, Le Mindu is a creative force to be reckoned with. As he himself observes, wigs ‘were very big in the 60’s’ are due for a comeback…this is but the beginning.

If you are brave enough to allow Le Mindu to tend to your tresses, pop along to Tatty Devine’s Brick Lane shop, any Friday from 2pm. The result is likely to be anything but conventional, and conversation about ‘where you are going on holiday’ is surely to be optional.

Watch the SS10 show here.

Victoria Loomes

Charlie Le Mindu AW09/10