OITNB’S Ruby Rose: Rough Around the Edges
Guy, girl—doesn’t matter what you are; you still
probably want to rock Ruby Rose’s sick haircut.
By Heather Haemker
In this era of gender fluidity, timing couldn’t be more perfect for the rise of Ruby Rose. The “Orange is the New Black” actress and self-described “genderqueer” has emerged as the “It” girl among the inmates this season, in large part due to her stunning, androgynous beauty. And of course, there’s that haircut—slick, sharp and totally sick; coveted by men and women alike.
No surprise, Ruby’s cut is courtesy of a barber—L.A.’s Dylan Johnson of The Proper Barbershop, who also serves as Senior Artistic Director for GO.247. After all, who better to execute this crisp, tailored taper?
Although it’s been characterized as an undercut, Dylan reveals that Ruby’s shape is actually an asymmetric, tapered haircut with shaved-in steps and part lines through the sides. The styling creates the appearance of disconnection.
The cut took shape as a creative collaboration between Ruby and Dylan, who proclaim their mutual admiration. Ruby was referred by a friend, and has stayed loyal, visiting the barber to maintain her cut during the shooting season. Dylan compliments Ruby’s artistic point of view, saying, “As a creative artist, Ruby understands and appreciates the attention to detail that you can receive sitting in a barber’s chair.”
Dylan reveals that thanks to social media, demand for the haircut—from men and women—began to surge even before Ruby made her Orange debut. “It’s beautiful to see the attitude and confidence it gives a woman to go really short, whether it’s just one side of the head or all the way around,” Dylan comments.
Ruby’s Asymmetric, Tapered Cut How-To
1. Prep the hair with UNITE 7 Seconds Leave-In Conditioner.
2. Cut a Mohawk section from hairline to crown, longest in front and gradually becoming shorter toward the crown.
3. Work across the top in horizontal sections, front to back, following the Mohawk guide. Work long to short from the part, in the direction in which it’s combed. Create weight and balance with tapering as you work toward each side.
4. Move to the sides to begin detailing. Work off of a guide to reduce bulk, getting underneath the hairline with a 1.5 guard.
5. Work from the right sideburn to the right temple point, then stop. Carry this guide around the head from temple to occipital in back, then around to the left temple without losing the guide.
6. With a T-outliner, create a clean, crisp line around the head, following the line created with the guard.
7. Taper the edges of the natural hairline to the skin, working from the bottom up to the artificial step line.
8. Use clipper-over-comb to reduce the remaining bulk on the sides, to soften the step line and to encourage the longer sections to lay flat against the head.
9. Allow the hair to part naturally, then use the T-outliner to carve in the part line from the widow’s peak, across and into the lengths midway back on the head toward the crown.
10. Apply GO24.7 HAIR GEL and dry the hair with a Denman-style vent brush.
11. Finish with GO24.7 Grooming Cream for a natural, free-flowing hold.
