Cruella De Vil's Iconic Hair For 2021

How Nadia Stacey Master Revamped Cruella De Vil's Iconic Hair For 2021
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Set in 1977 London, the hairstyles worn by leading actress Emma Stone and the other cast members in the upcoming movie "Cruella" were heavily influenced by the punk movement of England during that time.

Is there a more iconic hairstyle than Cruella De Vil’s?

The Disney villain of 101 Dalmatians fame is the focus of Disney’s upcoming movie “Cruella,” which gives the audience a deep dive into her backstory. Set in 1977 London, the hairstyles worn by leading actress Emma Stone and the other cast members were heavily influenced by the punk movement of England during that time. 

Hairstylist Nadia Stacey Master (@nadiastaceyhairmakeupdesign) used a variety of HASK products to transform the cast and revamp Cruella’s showstopping black-and-white locks. Here, she shares her approach to the movie’s hairstyles and the trusted HASK products she reached for to achieve the head-turning looks. 

1. What was the inspiration behind the hair looks and overall hair design/approach?
The film is set in 1977 in London. The punk scene was big, Vivienne Westwood had opened her first store on The Kings Road and fashion was changing. I wanted Emma Stone’s character to be influenced by this scene. A kind of creative chaos in the look. I also had to create over 10 different styles alone for Emma and I needed to sometimes hint towards the shape or style of the original Cruella because she has a lot of fans.

2. Tell us about the process you went through to develop the looks for the lead characters?
Each character needed a strong silhouette, something synonymous to them. Emma Stone’s character is more of a punk and influenced by that fashion whereas the Baroness—Emma Thompson—has perfected her look in the 1950s/60s, so it meant that we had a whole range of styles to draw from. Naomi Donne, a personal [makeup artist] to Emma Thompson created exactly what I wanted for the Baroness and developed all these different styles based around a theme. Lots of pulled back, not a hair out of place, sculpted styles while Cruella has a wildness to her look. You have to think of the character, who would they reference for their look, who would inspire them?

3. How important was it for the actors to be on board with your vision to carry out the various looks? What Did Emma Stone think/say when she saw your vision for the first time?
It’s absolutely vital they like, and more importantly feel right, in your creations. It’s they that have to feel the character as a whole and believe in the look. Emma is fantastic to collaborate with, she has strong ideas but is equally very open to any of my ideas and willing to try so the madder the looks became, the more she was up for it. We had such creative free rein from our director Craig Gillespie too, so it meant I could really try and push the boundaries. 

4.  What was your favorite look to create?
There are so many, and they are all so varied so it’s hard to choose a favorite. There is one which is based on the 18th century Marie Antoinette style—that seems crazy for Cruella but that’s the kind of creative freeness I had. The black and white sides are styled up towards the classic shape but then it goes off to the side and the shape changes; everything I did, I wanted to put a twist on it. I do love the bob shape with the bangs too. That feels very punk to me.

5.  How do you ensure actors’ natural hair is taken care of under wigs?
We have to prep the hair underneath with a product that will flatten and slick the hair down to make it as flat as possible, so I like to use conditioners or masks because I think the hair is benefitting all day under the wig.

6.  How did you ensure the wigs/hairpieces used for natural looks stayed looking natural?Any tips for styling wigs?
All the wigs are real hair, so you have to treat them as such. If I was putting in rollers or using irons or any styling implements, I would always use a heat-protecting spray like the HASK Keratin Protein 5 in 1 Leave in Spray. It helps protect and keeps the hair conditioned and smooth for styling.

How do you look after wigs on-set?
Depending on the style, some were heavily sprayed with hair spray to set them, but generally, I like to keep the hair free to move, which I feel if you are trying to give the appearance of real hair. It must move like real hair, it makes it more believable, so in that case, I like a lightweight spray that will smooth out and control without being too heavy.

How did you keep hair color bright and healthy?
I think preparation before styling is key. It’s the maintenance of keeping hair in good condition before you even think about styling that will make it healthy and shiny so it’s all about the shampoos and conditioners and masks you use.

7.  Did you have to dye any of the actors’ hair during filming and if so, which HASK products did you use during the process and why? Were HASK products great to prep hair before dyeing? Do they help keep dyed hair vibrant?
We didn’t dye anyone’s natural hair, but we dyed wigs and hairpieces and because the hair is so treated previously it can dry out very quickly the same as over-processed hair. For me, the lifesavers are the HASK hair oils because they are so absorbing so they don’t sit heavy in the hair. Also, the macadamia one smells incredible!

8.  What were the biggest challenges/issues styling hair on-set of this film, and how did you overcome them?
We had three black and white wigs for the whole shoot for Cruella and over 10 different designs and because of the fast pace of the shooting schedule I had to style these three wigs over and over again, so they were in and out of rollers, hairpieces added to them, they really went through it! There are also many stunts and action sequences, so we needed products that would hold the styles. I also had nearly 100 different cast members with multiple looks so to look after Emma Stone full time and design all those looks was a challenge!

9.  Which HASK products would you recommend to keeping hair healthy that has had either a lot of product (like hairspray) or heat tools?
I like the Tea Tree Shampoo and Conditioner to take out any impurities but also keep the hair soft and conditioned but again weightless and not heavy with the product. I also love the Tea Tree 5 in 1 Spray to heat protect as the styling begins again.

10. What was the most memorable moment of being on the set of the film Cruella?
​There are so many to choose from and the film has so many iconic moments, but I think nothing will beat seeing Emma as Cruella for the first time. All those weeks of prep and seeing her in full hair and makeup was amazing. 

Read the rest of the interview here >>>