He might have started young — at the age of 14 — but John Bowker is definitely maturing into a very talented hairstylist.
“I’ve been doing hair since I was 14. Mostly as an apprentice, but I moved to Melbourne to become a full time student at Biba Academy,” John explains, saying that he got interested in doing hair thanks to his mother.
“She was a training model at a salon when they mentioned needing an apprentice and the rest is history.
VERSATILITY AND CREATIVITY
“There is so much I love about hair, there is so much you can do and I love the versatility and creativity. Although it can be a toxic industry, once you find your people it’s so amazing.”
When asked to describe his particular style, John says that rather than having a particular style per se, he prefers to begin with an overall concept.
“I’d probably say most of the styles I plan, start with a very vague vibe and then I slowly sort out the details, whereas when I’m doing something specific, I think of it like a jigsaw and what pieces go where.
“My style is quite varied, personally I’d say pretty punk-ish, but in my work I honestly love anything alternative or interesting. I love doing things that feel like they shouldn’t work or are unreal.”
INSPIRED BY …
John explains that he has many idols, but is most obsessed with Pluto Savage, who he describes as a very skilled stylist with years of experience and whose work ranges from sharp classic cuts to outrageous colours, and who strongly supports catering to all genders.
“I worked with them at my old salon and they were very quickly one of the coolest people I’ve worked with and also the reason I moved to Melbourne to study,” says John.
“My cutting teacher Mathew Agostino, [Creative Director of Biba Advanced Academy] is also definitely one of them, he’s been amazingly supportive of all my creative works and was a big help on my first competition where I was a finalist.”
As for his future plans, John says that he would love to work with anyone who has a “strong creative vision”. “I also love doing any out-of-the-box styling for events or shoots,” he says.
“Honestly I’ve got no idea at the moment … I love everything I’m doing right now with events and I’m planning my own first photoshoot collection, but beyond that I think I’m just waiting to see where I end up.”
If you would like to book John to do your hair, DM him at @frankenstylehair.
John will be backstage doing hair for the QUEER BY DESIGN runway show on THURSDAY 19 FEBRUARY. Tickets available from www.trybooking.com/DGPPG
IMAGES
PHOTOGRAPHERS @erik.b.w1lt @hausofouwerkerk
MODELS @zoe.mews @juniper.hair @moonlighttatt2 @kirramodels @lucyblakistonsmith @cj.haiir
MUA @jessicac.mua_ @artistrybyknight @carlagranifo
STYLING @mimi.hoffman.styling
