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In 2024, Victoria's Secret welcomed a trailblazing talent to their fashion show: Duffy, a renowned hair stylist celebrated for pushing the boundaries of hair artistry. Known for his audacious and imaginative creations, Duffy's work has redefined the world of high-fashion hair styling, garnering him a reputation as one of the most innovative visionaries in the industry.
From Bella and Gigi Hadid's partially bald mullets at Marc Jacobs' show to the fuzzy blue and orange hair extensions at Rick Owens, Duffy's daring designs have left a lasting impression on fashion insiders and fans alike. His ability to blend cutting-edge styles with artistic flair has earned him the role of backstage hair lead for some of the biggest names in fashion, including Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, YSL, and Bottega Veneta. His editorial expertise has graced the covers of premium magazines, further solidifying his status as a sought-after stylist for the world's most iconic fashion campaigns.
This year, as the head stylist for Victoria's Secret, Duffy's vision took center stage at one of the most anticipated fashion events of the year. Speaking exclusively to HOLA! USA backstage, he shared the pressure and excitement of leading a team responsible for the hair of 50 of the world's top models.
"I'm a little stressed, but you know I got 50 of the most amazing women in the world in one room. And we're trying to make them the best versions of themselves. So it's a lot of work for my team. It's also a lot of work for the girls; they're giving a lot today. They're presenting how they feel the most powerful, the most beautiful, and we're going for quite pared-down beauty, like reality to the beauty," he said.
Victoria's Secret, known for its signature voluminous, bouncy hair, stepped in a new direction this year, embracing more texture, structure, and individuality. Duffy explained how this evolution came to be:
"Yes! I mean, honestly, I have relationships with 95% of the girls in the room, and over the years of working with them in Europe on the shows, we have an ongoing conversation, always. Coming to this show today, many of these conversations have been going on for a few weeks... But it's a celebration, honestly, of like, I'm not gonna stand here and say it's a celebration of individuality because it isn't. There is obviously a narrative and a story."
Duffy emphasized that while the show has moved away from the traditional uniformity of beauty, it's more about amplifying the models' natural features, "We're paring down a lot of the effortless hair and making it just like a very quality, healthy, beautiful movement. We're looking at what they walk in with and amplifying that, and some of the other girls were working more extreme shapes," he told HOLA! USA. "There's like a slight ode to the seventies with these very large sort of waved silhouettes, and then some of the other girls were working on almost like a lion's mane of hair."
His description paints a picture of the dramatic, larger-than-life looks that dominated the show, with hair that embraced raw textures, wind-blown volume, and shapes that gave the models an empowered, strong presence. The bold departure from the traditional look reflects Duffy's creativity and a more significant shift in the fashion industry toward more expressive, individualized beauty.
Duffy's visionary work once again redefines expectations, and his influence on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.