London-based photographer Paul Phung collaborated with fashion stylist Karlmond Tang and hairstylist Roger Cho to create the sublime photographic project ‘Tóufǎ’, meaning hair in Chinese; a series of demure black and white portraits that honors the trio’s multicultural backgrounds.
The creative direction of the series, first published in Beauty Papers Magazine, was informed by Phung’s professional background in art, Tang’s experience in fashion and styling, and Cho’s vision to pay tribute to their British-Chinese heritage. The trio are all based in London—one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities. ‘Tóufǎ’ is a contemporary take on the traditional hairstyles of Imperial China. Throughout that period in time, Cho explains that hairstyles held regal status, and were an important feature of the royal court. “Hairstyles would be changed slightly through the dynasties, but they often remained slick, smart, and faultless in their complicated styles,” he notes in the interview. “The gravity-defying hairstyles would typically be immaculate, but I wanted them to have something natural and dishevelled about them,” he says of ‘Tóufǎ’. “I wanted to keep the shapes, but add the contemporary modern touch that brings Chinese culture to current times.”
All images © Paul Phung. Hair Roger Cho using Hv-wigs. Beauty Jan Chan. Styling Karlmond Tang.
