“Hair Doesn’t Follow Fashion, It Completes It”

Brooke Evans on her collaboration with couture designer Reagan Varross and photographer Chris Bulezuik

by AMANDA | EXPLORE

How Did The Collaboration Come About?

The collaboration came together very organically, but also under a lot of time pressure. Reagan had his collection ready for Paris Couture Fashion Week last year, and with such a quick turnaround there wasn’t time to shoot it beforehand. He put the word out on social media looking for a team, and that’s when I realised, although my world is hair, why couldn’t it extend into fashion too? Hair and fashion influence each other so deeply.

I’d worked with Chris many times before and knew how talented he was, not just in hair photography but across fashion and portraiture. I sent Reagan Chris’s Instagram, and he immediately loved his work. Everyone was keen to collaborate, even though it was an incredibly busy period and the shoot happened just before Chris flew out to Australia. We made it work, and it felt very natural, there was already trust and creative history there.

What’s The Concept Behind The Looks – Hair And Fashion?

The concept was rooted in the idea that hair doesn’t follow fashion, it completes it. Together, hair and fashion create a silhouette, a mood, a story. Reagan’s collection was heavily inspired by the sea and the underworld – Lament of the Sirens, inspired by the Glaucus Atlanticus – so we wanted the hair to reflect that narrative through movement, wet textures and flowing waves.

The aim was for everything to feel connected – hair, garments, and photography all moving together. Movement was a key theme throughout, creating harmony between the elements. It became less about individual disciplines and more about creating a unified piece of art between the three of us.

Hair: Brooke Evans

Clothing/Styling: Reagan Varross

Photography: Chris Bulezuik

Make up: Roseanna Velin

Anything Unique That Needed To Be Considered In Terms Of The Hair Styling OrOverall Finish?

Absolutely. Where fashion sets the tone, hair delivers the character, and that balance was crucial. Reagan wanted elegance, this is couture but with wet looks and fluidity, which is more complex than it sounds. On set, we had no backwash, so I had to carefully plan the order of looks, starting with softer finishes and gradually building into more product-driven styles as the day went on.

Product choice was incredibly important. I needed products that wouldn’t overpower the hair and would still perform five, six, even seven hours into the shoot. Each look had to feel completely different yet still belong together as a cohesive collection.

Brooke Evans

How Did You All Land On The Tone, Final Finishes, Lighting And Overall Vibe?

Each of us has our own creative direction, but we were very mindful that this project wasn’t about hair or photography, it was about Reagan’s collection and his vision. Reagan already had strong ideas around mood, backdrop and lighting, and Chris worked closely with him to expand on those ideas and experiment with new approaches.

When styling the more powerful, highly patterned garments, we knew the clothes already spoke for themselves. The hair needed to complement, not compete. For silhouetted pieces, we went bigger with the hair; for sleeker garments, we kept the hair more minimal to create a strong focal point. Reagan’s clientele are drawn to detail, so everything from lighting to finish had to enhance that craftsmanship and sense of sophistication.

Any Future Plans To Work Together Again?

I would hope so – Reagan is also my brother! We’re all incredibly proud of what we created and how seamlessly the collaboration came together. It truly felt like a perfect balance of skill sets. Reagan is already thinking about his next collections, and I know we’d all love to collaborate again and continue the journey. It feels like the beginning of something special rather than a one-off project.