Subculture Hair Artist Pablo Kuemin Transforms Runway Looks

Paris-based hairstylist Pablo Kuemin is known for transforming subcultures into runway-ready hair, a trend recently on display at the DSM × Kei Ninomiya show. Models walked the catwalk with razor-sharp mohawks, dreadlocks, and liberty spikes dyed in acid green, orange, and pink. Each hairstyle bloomed with fresh wildflowers, a choice that highlights Kuemin’s reputation for sculptural wigs and punk styling.

Kuemin explains that his approach to hair has always been tied to identity. He struggled to find his footing growing up in the postcard-perfect Swiss countryside. “I kept asking myself what I had to offer in terms of cultural references,” he says. It wasn’t until he discovered the work of Swiss youth-culture photographer Karl-Heinz Weinberger that his perspective shifted.

He borrowed his brother’s passport and started going to underground techno rave parties all over Europe. In that scene, he recalls, people shaved each other’s heads, coloured and cut hair, and used wigs. “My friends kept telling me I had a talent for it and that I should become a hairdresser,” he says. He listened to them and never looked back.

Building Worlds Before Creating Hair

The jagged, cropped silhouettes he created for Vetements SS27 and his intimate wig work for Emily Lipson’s photographic series Dykes show the foundation of his work. Kuemin tries to build the world the hair lives in before he creates the hair itself. “It makes the work easier for me, and it helps my team and others understand it too,” he says.

For the DSM show, he had carte blanche to do what he loves best. He closed himself in his studio for a day to brainstorm. He came up with the different flower-integration ideas for the looks and shared them with Kei Ninomiya and Makoto’s team. They quickly realised they were all speaking the same language.

Creating the looks was “completely in my comfort zone,” he adds. In his early days, he built a lot of larger structures and even made dresses out of hair. He knew how to handle the weight of the flowers, integrate them, and finish everything just moments before the show so the flowers would stay fresh. They even considered small water sources inside the wigs to keep them alive, but in the end, they decided against it.

Subculture has been a recurring thread in his work since he was a kid. Finding a book of Karl-Heinz Weinberger’s photos in an old Paris bookshop changed his narrative entirely. He could relate to the images of the Swiss community that existed just beneath the surface of his seemingly perfect surroundings. This discovery, combined with years of internal conversation, shaped the man he is today.

While the runway is a high-pressure environment, Kuemin’s method relies on the quiet of his studio. He spends days away from the noise, sketching concepts that feel chaotic in theory but structured in practice. The result is often a contradiction: hair that looks raw and wild but is actually the product of careful planning. It’s a balance of nature and chaos that defines his aesthetic.

Runway styles often echo the broader fashion zeitgeist, such as the cozy heel trend seen in recent celebrity street style, though Kuemin’s creations remain distinctly punk. His ability to capture the spirit of a subculture while maintaining structural integrity on the catwalk demonstrates a mastery of the craft. The collaboration with Kei Ninomiya resulted in a collection that was both rebellious and meticulously planned.