“Euphoria”: 5 Things To Know From The Show’s Lead Hair Designer
All Things “Euphoria”: Beauty Trends & A Look Inside The Hair Trailer
Heavy-glitter makeup, trendy hairstyles, elite fashion references and a dark, dreamy soundtrack—the “Euphoria” aesthetic is undeniable. Whether your Sunday nights revolve around new episodes of the Gen Z cult-favorite series or not, there is no denying that since the show first premiered in 2019, it continues to prove: “Euphoria” makes trends happen overnight.
Let’s discuss the magnitude of pop-culture power this show holds. Even before the early January 2022 release of Season Two—when only show promos and teaser clips were posted online—fan accounts were already in a frenzy, curating lists of how to “get the look” of each character. Flash forward to now: The clothes worn in new episodes are actually selling out. “Euphoria” has become the blueprint, a manual for cool girls everywhere.
So, how do they do it? And by them, we mean the show’s creative team responsible for launching every major trend this year. BTC caught up with Hair Department Head Kim Kimble to find out. We talked about all things “Euphoria,” how each character’s look is cultivated, the ’90s trends to know this year and got a peek inside life in the hair trailer.
#1: Meet Kim Kimble, whose work you’ve already seen in movies, TV—and on Beyoncé.
Kim Kimble’s portfolio of celebrity, film and television projects is a work of art in itself. From leading hair on career-defining visual masterpieces like Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” to “Dreamgirls,” to styling Vogue covers and having her own TV show and product line, Kim told BTC editors, she likes being busy. “I like having projects—I’m a project person,” says Kim. “The challenge of making them work and succeed keeps me going. I think purpose is important.”
Kim entered the world of “Euphoria” for Season Two, just a few years after the show first premiered in 2019. Having previously worked with Zendaya, an executive producer and the show’s lead actress (who portrays Rue on-screen), her agency introduced her to writer-director Sam Levinson and she landed the role of hair department head.
“Sometimes, you have months to prepare, sometimes you have a couple of weeks,” said Kim. She received the script a couple of weeks ahead of time, but was familiar with the project, who the characters were, and what they were like. From there, it was time to get to work—starting with creating mood boards for the show’s core characters.
#2: The creative process of designing “Euphoria’s” hair: From mood boards to finished looks.
While some characters would keep looks from Season One, the show’s director Sam gave Kim space for their looks to grow and evolve. The first major step of Kim’s creative process is to build a mood board for every major character. She presents the boards to production meetings with the makeup and costume designers, as well as the director. The actors also bring their own ideas and inspirations to the table to help create their character’s personal style.
Ultimately, the creative meetings, the script and the clothes dictate the final hair looks—and if you’re working in the creative design departments, you must be ready for script changes.
“You need to be flexible because things change and get rewritten,” said Kim. “So, you have to stay on top of reading. You have to read your scripts, read your new scripts and read your call sheets every day—especially, when you have a creative director. I love it when the director throws me a curveball.”
Watch this BTS video clip with Kim on-set.
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#3: Here are all of the hair trends and transformations we will see in Season Two.
“Euphoria” has its own look: Effortless yet intentional. Waving irons, flat irons, piecey, dry shampoo, natural and not over-styled—it’s a little bit editorial, but more wearable for television, says Kim.
Coming into Season Two, Kim had the challenge to keep the trademark “Euphoria” vibe, but match it with the show’s darker, more adult tone—shot completely on film, with new characters like singer-songwriter Dominic Fike and adult film star Chloe Cherry, more teen drug use and a chaotic plot line that has honestly shocked parents everywhere. Our favorite high school characters are growing up a bit.
Let’s talk about a few standout character transformations, plus the hair trends they will definitely be influencing this year. We can give you a hint: The ’90s became a theme.
Jules (portrayed by Hunter Schafer): “You and Kurt Cobain have the same haircut,” says Elliot (portrayed by Dominic Fike) to Jules in a recent episode. Hunter had been wanting to cut her hair, and Jules was shifting from a hyper-feminine baby doll aesthetic to something slightly more androgynous, she told HBO. “This was intentional for her character,” said Kim, who cut her hair into a grungy, slightly-layered ’90s bob.
Check out Kim & Hunter talking the grunge bob transformation on “Euphoria’s” BTS special.
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Maddy (portrayed by Alexa Demie): Alexa has her own style and aesthetic when it comes to her hair, said Kim. “I think she’s different from everyone else,” she added. Here’s what you’ll see this season: ’90s updos and hair accessories, wet buns, sleek-and-spiky topknots and detailed baby hairs. (Expect to see these trends blow up!)
Cassie (portrayed by Sydney Sweeney): Brigitte Bardot, brushed-out waves and a blowout inspired by the musical “Oklahoma”—Cass is all over the place this season. One of our favorites? Spoiler! When Cassie shows up to school as a Maddy lookalike. “Cassie has a lot of changes. For me as a hairstylist, it was definitely a cool moment,” said Kim.
Ashtray (portrayed by Javon Walton): Here’s some insider information you’d never know about the character “Ashtray”—who is having quite the season, we must say. The actor’s father is actually a barber, so that influenced his signature eyebrow lines and haircut, said Kim.
#4: Here’s how Kim assembles her hair team for film and television projects like “Euphoria.”
“I have been the department head a lot in my career,” says Kim. “I love designing shows [and] the opportunity to give people a job.” Kim pulled together a team of people with different strengths needed for the project: Styling, extensions, barbering, wigs and tapped celeb colorist Tracey Cunningham (@traceycunningham1) for color.
“Pick the best team you can,” said Kim. “You’re only as good as your team. Be as organized as you can [and] ask a lot of questions. I want to be thorough, because things move fast. What’s important about being a team leader is learning what your team’s strengths are and setting them up for success.”
Wigs on “Euphoria”: In a recent episode, the opening scene highlights the show’s two main characters Rue and Jules placed in a montage of iconic lovers references like “Titanic,” “Brokeback Mountain,” Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Tap through the different wigs created by the hair team to see the actresses transform into each role.
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#5: Get an exclusive look around the “Euphoria” hair trailer: Wigs, call sheets and ’90s R&B.
So, what does a work day look like for a TV hairstylist? Kim typically has a team of three stylists, but on busy days, up to seven or eight team members. You’re doing at least 14-hour days, says Kim. Hair and makeup come in a few hours before crews and shoot 10 to 12 hours.
A typical day includes prep, touch-ups, adjusting on-set and pre-planning for the days ahead. Plus, working with script supervisors and doing continuity shots for each character—what are those? TV shows are often filmed out of sequence, so the hair team is responsible for keeping books of photos of every hair look in each scene to make sure everything matches throughout an episode.
Here are some thing you can find in the “Euphoria” hair trailer:
- Stations: Products, drawers full of tools and hair accessories
- Color, products, brushes and combs
- Sanitary area to clean everything
- Pictures/visuals of the looks
- Photos of the actors
- Continuity books, printers and binders
- Cabinets for hair and wigs
- Shampoo bowls
- Hair extensions that are washed and hanging
- Music: You KNOW the playlist bumping in the hair trailer is going to be good. “A lot of the girls like ’90s R&B and hip hop,” says Kim.
Make sure to follow Kim on Instagram at @kimblehaircare for more behind the scenes looks of “Euphoria.”
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