Infringe, Issue 3

Infringe is the Anthropology of Hair

What does your hair say about you? Across the globe, we place enormous value on hair. At first glance, this could be dismissed as being purely aesthetic; millions of us spend hours grooming, cutting and colouring our hair. But if we dig deeper, we can come to understand its value beyond this. Hair has a reach across universal subjects which affect us all, it is inextricably linked to our ideas surrounding culture, gender, race, religion, life and death. Through hair, we can express our individuality, conform to uniformity, or show our dedication to a specific subculture, tribe or lifestyle.

Infringe is a visual feast of art, design, and fashion all based around the exploration of hair culture. Issue 1 presents photo-essays, fashion editorials, artworks and interviews, which explore hair across creative disciplines. We meet the hairdressers, barbers and wigmakers whose livelihoods depend upon this fibre. We delve into the works of photographers documenting cultural practices involving hair across the globe. We listen to the artists, activists and writers who challenge perceptions of hair and reveal how reflective it is of our often contradictory beauty ideals. Hair taboos are examined – why is it that some hair is deemed desirable, some repulsive? Ever-growing, hair denotes life, as well as being the final physical remnant that survives us after death. Hair can be a poignant memento, a statement, a medium for craft and much more. Brought to you by hairdressing icons Anthony and Pat Mascolo, Infringe is the Anthropology of Hair.

“Hair is a powerful symbol, revealing our identities, attitudes and beliefs.”

Anthony and Pat Mascolo, Infringe Founders and Editors-in-chief