Hairstylist Anthony Turner On Why Authenticity Is the Future of Beauty

Sometimes all it takes is a single, fateful glimpse to change everything. For Anthony Turner, it was seeing Alexander McQueen’s monumental VOSS show in the pages of i-D and realizing, for the first time, that someone was creating the hair — and he needed to be that someone. Turner has since built a reputation as one of fashion’s most daring hairstylists, infusing runway and editorial imagery with a poetic, subversive flair drawn from alternative influences. From literature’s darker corners to queer, goth, and club-kid subcultures, he channels authenticity into beauty with raw, emotional edge. Amid the backstage frenzy, he reflects on his journey from assisting Guido Palau to landing his first major cover with Carey Mulligan for Interview and collaborating with image-makers like Alasdair McLellan, Craig McDean, Jamie Hawkesworth, and Willy Vanderperre. In this exclusive Models.com MDX cover story, we follow Turner leading hair at Ann Demeulemeester, Mugler, Acne Studios, and Jil Sander while capturing his techniques in motion. Together, we dive into how he found his voice, built his career, and continues to reshape the language of hair on fashion’s biggest stages.