Human hair is dominating the runway this season and, as much as it’s iconic, we’re wondering: what are the ethics of that? As weird as it might sound, human hair has already shown up on multiple runways. At Dilara Findikoglu we saw a human hair top, last season Mowalola showed a human hair bodysuit, Schiaparelli designed human hair ties, and Simone Rocha made human hair earrings.
All odds are pointing to this being the next big trend, but what happens when human hair trickles down the fashion pipeline and ends in high street stores? That’s where things get shady. Last year, a video by @hiara.extensions on TikTok went viral for explaining how countries like India manage to keep their wigs so cheap whilst still using human hair. They pull it from public drains.
That’s because the industry for sourcing human hair is completely unregulated, and sourcing hair has become a free for all that has people delving into drains and sewers just to meet the demand.
This isn’t even the first time wig makers around the world have been exposed for using some slimy tactics to keep their prices down. Back in 2020, a documentary called Just Extensions revealed how Chinese wig makers use what they call “fallen hair”, pulled from hair brushes, shower drains, and even trash bags.
Riqua Hailes who made the documentary says, “I don’t care how much cleaning you do to it. It won’t be luxurious and flowy. It will matte up just like it looks in that bag.”
In the viral TikTok video it’s explained that “this is the only reason human hair extensions are still affordable”. And it’s true. Wigs and extensions made from virgin hair, or hair that’s been completely untouched, can cost thousands, so what would you rather? Pay full price or save your money knowing that you’re probably wearing drain clog.
Basically, when we try to source human hair for cheap, it gets nasty. That’s why, if I were you, I’d stick to the designers on this one – do not go copping the Primarke dupe Dilara dress in a few months.
Featured image via @jamie.uk for Culted©
