Anthony Bayer belongs on the runway
From working backstage creating runway looks at New York Fashion Week to crafting editorial looks for high-profile titles, Tāmaki Makaurau-based stylist and Joico Ambassador, Anthony Bayer, has spent well over a decade making waves in the hairdressing world.
Following a creative stint in Paris earlier this year, working behind the scenes at fashion week, Helene Ravlich learnt the stylist’s secrets.
In 2016, he opened his eponymous Ponsonby salon, a creative hub where he works his magic on a raft of loyal clients. But his passion for the controlled chaos that is a fashion week moment has seen him continue his international travels, with the latest destination also one of the world’s most stylish cities—Paris.
His invitation to join the creative team at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year was a long time coming, kicking off when he met stylist and team leader, Jay Marie Fisher, in New York a year earlier. ‘I had travelled to New York to work with the Ted Gibson Artistic Team at New York Fashion Week SS25,’ he explains, ‘which was an experience that changed my life.’
A huge inspiration for the stylist, Bayer joined the team alongside Fisher, the two striking up an immediate friendship. They stayed in touch, and when the latter was asked to lead the team at Paris Fashion Week SS26, Bayer was high on her list to tap.
When he arrived in the city and set up camp in Montparnasse, he immediately went to work completing over a week of non-stop prep before arriving backstage to join the team at two of the week’s biggest shows. The first runway look created was for Authentic Roz, a cross-cultural label from the mind of Qatari creative, Rayan Alami, followed by Parisian label Jungl Saturn by designer Jérémy Joanes Edward.
‘I travelled with a lot of tools,’ says Bayer with a smile, ‘most of which I didn’t really need, but better to be prepared, right? A lot of the looks we created for the first show were very gelled, wet looks; luckily, the other show was almost an evolution of that. We pulled models’ hair into twisted buns after pulling oil through, with detail that had an almost flamenco vibe.’
The third show, Hair Couture, was unsurprisingly a celebration of unabashed creativity, with stylists paired with models to create their own standout hair looks. Over 30 models took to the runway, Bayer’s wearing a ‘hat’ made of feathers that were coloured for a perfect match with her own hair’s coppery, autumnal tones.
Arriving back in Aotearoa to go immediately to work creating six looks for entry into the ANZ Hair Industry Awards, Bayer says he returned tired, but happy. ‘I love my clients and working in salon, but the thrill of working backstage and in competitions creates the perfect balance. Joico provides the support I need to thrive doing both, and I’m so grateful.’
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