One of the things we love most about what we do at Revival Runway is meeting and working with all the talented designers, artists and creatives, like Sage, who volunteer their precious time to help us out.
Some of the most important of these are the amazing hairstylists who ensure that our models look stunning. One of these is the fabulous Sage, 23, who describes themselves as “a First Nations butch lesbian hairstylist living in Naarm at the beginning of what I can only hope to be a long and shining career”.
“I’m a lover of hairdressing as a way to care for my community, create living art, and help my clients, models, and friends to take control of their bodies and the world’s perception of them. “
Sage has created some amazing hair for Revival Runway runway shows and editorial shoots like the recent Hayz Store Y2K shoot, the stunning Queer By Design shoot for our marketing campaign, the Dref show and our huge Metro Muse runway show.
“I’m running a styling business while finishing up my studies at Biba Advanced Academy. For me, hairdressing is a way of living my gender – being butch isn’t just being a masculine lesbian, it’s an identity that centres caring for and protecting your community.
“I believe it is my responsibility to not only give you amazing hair, but to provide a space where the unusual is an asset and the freakish is beloved.”
GUIDED BY STORIES
According to Sage, their artistic practice as a creative and hairstylist is “guided by storytelling”.
“Think concept album but for hair! It’s my instinct to build a world for my creations to live in, whether it’s history, fantasy, or reality. I’m a nerd who’s happiest when I get to spend a solid amount of time researching, writing, and conceptualising before the work even starts,” they say.
“My creative style definitely leans maximalist. I love adding details to create a character with a life and a backstory. But above all, my style revolves around strong concepts – I feel just as comfortable and excited creating a look for a mermaid as I do for a medieval princess or a Y2K baddie!
I’m inspired by the natural world. I really want to do beetle inspired iridescent hair and Venus Flytrap hair, so if anyone out there wants to let me experiment on their head … please hit me up!
“My other biggest inspo has to be the queer community – drag wigs, butch buzzcuts, baby’s first gender affirming haircut … I love my job!
“When I was three years old, I decided I’d had enough of people fussing over my tiny perfect blonde ringlets. I stood on my little tiptoes to fetch the kitchen scissors and squirrelled myself away under my grandad’s huge wooden desk. I must have felt a spark, despite my grandmother’s tears, because I haven’t stopped cutting my hair since!
“I’m a chill person by nature and I was a gifted kid with undiagnosed ADHD who never learned how to work hard for what I wanted, so my favourite part of the job has been finding a career that I love enough to work my ass off for. I’ve never been this consistently passionate about anything in my life, and I can feel myself building my future minute by minute.
A CREATIVE FUTURE
Sage says that they would love to work in the theatre or for film: “My big crazy dream is to style for Hollywood or Broadway … Maybe one day!
“In the meantime I’d love to keep working with my beautiful growing network of creative friends right here in Naarm. I’m also planning on organising a shoot next year with an entirely First Nations team, and I can’t wait!
“Long term, I’d love to work parttime in a queer, ethical salon that specialises in vivid colours and/or curls while building my wedding styling business and using both to fund wild indie editorial photoshoots.
“Whatever I end up doing, I know I’ll be contributing to queer, Indigenous creativity in the world, and that excites me most of all.”
If you would like to book Sage to do your hair, go to msha.ke/jetsagehair, and follow Sage at @jetsagehair.
Sage will be the Head Stylist for the QUEER BY DESIGN runway show on THURSDAY 19 FEBRUARY. Tickets available from www.trybooking.com/DGPPG
MAIN IMAGE
BRAND @karma.corbett
MODEL @hayleyparnaby
HAIR @jetsagehair
MUA @iamfrankiestarrson
PHOTOGRAPHER @dinkum.archives
CREATIVE DIRECTOR @nathan.vannn
