Sarah Hindsgaul, the hair mastermind of Stranger Things, is ready for a fresh start
You may not know Sarah Hindsgaul’s name, but you’ve almost certainly seen her work. As the hair designer behind the global phenomenam Stranger Things, she created some of television’s most recognisable hairstyles, from Eleven’s buzz cut to Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington’s signature quiff. Now, she’s ready for her next act.
For 20 years she’s been on various film sets bringing characters to life through unforgettable hairstyles. The most iconic to date were arguably birthed on the set of Stranger Things. Now, Emmy-nominated hair designer, Sarah Hindsgaul, has debuted her latest endeavor, Hindsgaul Hair, a line of hair care products built on a minimalist philosophy of weightless movement, and inspired by her Scandinavian upbringing.
“I think people use too much product,” she says. “I really think a simple hair routine works best and that is also how it lasts all day. Life is not a red carpet event.”
This less is more mindset was honed over years of working to create film-worthy looks while trying to minimize actual hair damage on the actors. The genuine care she has for her colleagues led her down a path of experimentation and creation.
Below, EE72 caught up with Hindsgaul to get the BTS stories of her years on the Stranger Things set and learn more about this new chapter she finally started sharing with the world.
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
You have created some of the most iconic and polarizing hair styles on Stranger Things. Did you think that Will’s bowl cut would become so infamous?
No, I didn’t. When we started, I was making this family where their daily life was about survival. That mother was not thinking about how the other kids at school were going to react to her kids’ haircuts. I grew up at that time, and I used to have a bang that was so short because my mom would cut it at the kitchen counter, and I think that was still sitting with me. So I thought, well, that whole family needs to have that heavy bang. It started really innocently. I did it to all of them, Jonathan too. Sean Levy, the director was like, ‘Sarah, no, he needs to be a little more hot. It is a television show after all.’ When it came to Will, after a couple of years, I didn’t want to change him because his character was not changing. Also Noah was a kid, and the first time it came out, they were really knocking him for this haircut. He started getting older, and that’s when those first knocks started hitting. I just remember feeling heartbroken and a little bit helpless like what have I insisted on doing to this kid?
How did you work through that?
I love Noah, so we sat down and I said, ‘I know it’s really difficult to understand right now, but I think we need to insist that this is right for your character.’ These were very young actors who were figuring out what it means to act. To sit with him through that was very special. In the end I was the one crumbling like I can’t do this to you anymore. Let’s just change it. He was the one who said, ‘No, this is important for me so I can stay in this mindset.’ It was a pretty big journey with these kids, but also for me because again, I just didn’t want to hurt them. No hairdo matters enough where you should hurt somebody’s developing years in any kind of way.
After 10 years working on Stranger Things, why did you want to create Hindsgaul Hair?
That started five years ago while we were still shooting. It’s something I’ve always been thinking about, but it felt impossible. If you are working on a film or in television, you work a minimum of 12 hours, and most days are 18. When and how are you supposed to also execute something else in your life? I think the reason it took me so long was because it was extremely scary. When I was working on Stranger Things, I felt like I could cover my art under an umbrella and execute within that. Of course it’s my vision, but at the same time I have characters to work from. This is very different. I put my own name on it, and I went for it. So it feels like it’s all on me, which is exciting, but also it took me a long time to dare to do something like that.
@SARAHHINDSGAUL
What was it like creating Steve “The Hair” Harrington from scratch?
The first year I gave him a very nerdy, kind of preppy look. I hired this woman, Ms. Evelyn who was 75 when we started season one, and it was just the two of us. She was great because she actually had a hair salon in the ’80s. When she did Joe’s hair, I just remember looking over at his face. It was so funny. We did the first scene where he’s at the locker with Nancy and he’s playing it up, and pulling it off. Two days go by and he has that big scene where he opens the door and it’s his party. And he says, ‘OK, Sarah, I’m not feeling that confident in this. I want to be a little hotter right now at my party.’
That’s when I got the blow dryer and we kind of moved it back and took a couple of pieces down in the front. It definitely made him stand out. It was such a big hairdo. That became the beginning of Steve “The Hair” Harrington.
You worked with master perfumer Jérôme Epinette and the brand Liis to create a custom scent for Hindsgaul Hair. Why was that important to you?
I’ve been inside a tiny hair trailer for 20 years and the scent of hair products is sometimes so extreme. You’re spraying them into the air, everybody’s coughing. The main scent that I wear is from Liis. It’s so simple, and so light. When I met them I knew they would know how to do this, and I needed professionals. Jérôme was amazing too. I had these images of Scandinavian mornings, stuff that brought me back to my childhood—the ocean and mist in the air. He sent me 10 different things. They were all amazing and all nailed that feeling that I wanted. For me, scent is a memory, but at the same time, I didn’t want something that was invasive. I love an experience with scents and textures, but I don’t want it to linger for too long.
“I really think a simple hair routine works best and that is also how it lasts all day. Life is not a red carpet event.”
SARAH HINDSGAUL
You’ve brought many characters to life, but Joseph Quinn’s was quite a transformation. How did you end up nailing that?
That took a long time. Matt and Ross loved Joe’s acting, but he wasn’t quite the right age for the role. They were basically like, ‘Make it happen. We’ve got to sell this guy.’ They knew he was the one who was going to deliver this role, but we needed a very different look for him.
At the beginning they wanted this black, harsh rock look. Joe is really fair, so when you start putting those dark colors with his skin I knew it wasn’t going to photograph well. It wasn’t going to make him endearing, and you needed to fall in love with him. I think it was the most difficult character we ever had on the show, not just from hair, but really from an acting standpoint. I’m still kind of speechless at how he sold that because I don’t think it was the most likable character. But Matt, Ross, and Quinn all understood what was going on. The rest of us were just trying to help them.
The first wig came in, and I made it quite light because we shoot so dark on the show. I was extremely scared of cutting the top of that wig. It took me eight times because they don’t grow back, and it’s like an $8,000 wig. As soon as you get one wig ready, then you make five more. It was terrifying, but he was with me all the time and we had so much fun. When we were really happy with it, we took it to Matt, Ross, and Netflix, and they approved it right away, even though it was not black, it was not straight, and it was not anything that had been translated to us.
I think that speaks to being in a collaborative environment because you two worked it out. It seems like you kind of saved the day here.
Let’s tell Joe that! He was amazing on set. The wig was beautiful, and that’s what I really wanted. That was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had was with Quinn.
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