Hair Beyond the Bounds of Imagination: An Interview with Eda Lee
Interview by Liv Franks
When it comes to breaking down barriers within conventional hairstyling, you don’t have to look further than Eda Lee. The hairstylist, art director, and wig designer produces gravity-defying constructions that engage and challenge our expectations of what hair can be.
Whether Lee is looking at cartoon characters or the ephemeral beauty of a sunset, the Shanghai and Guangzhou-based creative harnesses inspiration from a disparate range of materials. This allows him to create free from the restraints of the conventional norm of editorial fashion. It is clearly working, as he continues to work across magazines such as Vogue, GQ, and Elle with acclaimed brands like Prada, Coach, and Chanel.
The founder of Jogostudio combines the use of AI with the art of wig making and the results are practically extra terrestrial. To that end, Eda Lee lauds the innovations possible through the use of AI since “it can provide you with things that you can’t imagine in your brain”.
Phantasy is delighted to have gotten the chance to interview Eda Lee. He speaks on topics ranging from getting started in the industry, the transformational potential of hair, to his plans for the coming year.
Phantasy: Hi Eda, thank you so much for your time. Can you please introduce yourself to Phantasy?
Eda: Hello Phantasy fans. I'm Eda Lee from China. I'm a hair stylist and wig maker, I love to research creative hairstyles and create interesting hair.
Phantasy: What was your inspiration in deciding to become a hairstylist?
Eda: When I was in college, I saw the works and fashion shows of Alexander McQueen. His design and styling ideas made me eager to participate in fashion, so I started my path as a hairdresser.
Phantasy: So that our audience can get a sense of your work, how would you personally describe your aesthetic when it comes to hairstyling?
Eda: I hope my work is free, interesting and imaginative.
Phantasy: What were some fantasies or dreams you had as a child?
Eda: When I was a child, I was very lacking in information, and I dreamed of becoming a football player [laughs].
Phantasy: What was the most beautiful thing that you saw recently?
Eda: A sunset in the woods of Chiang Mai.
Phantasy: As an art director, what is your creative process like? How do you plan your projects?
Eda: Generally speaking, when I get a hairstyle job, I will make a hairstyle plan according to the needs of the commercial clients or the creative needs of media editors. I find inspiration pictures for reference, then hold a meeting to devise a plan. After completing the pre-production and testing of the hairstyle in the studio, we finally execute it on the working day.
Phantasy: When you are stuck in a creative rut, how do you find inspiration to create again?
Eda: I usually go on vacation or exercise, and try to get out of the fashion environment. I often need to change my way of thinking, and I may even go to some exhibitions related to new media and new fields to get fresh visual aesthetics.
Phantasy: What do you think makes a “good” hairstyle in your opinion?
Eda: A good hairstyle will vary according to the fields involved. An ordinary, daily hairstyle is good or bad, depending on if the hairstyle can make you feel comfortable, happy or energetic.
If its aim is within the creative field, first of all, I would like to see originality in the hairstyle. If it is very original and has my own personal style, I think this hairstyle is good. After that, the integrity and creativity of the hairstyle is also important.
Phantasy: Which of your wig designs springs out to you as particularly memorable or that you were most proud of creating?
Eda: Last year, I created a hairstyle for the Year of the Loong for Chinese New Year. It was a wig in the shape of a dragon, because I had never seen such a style before. It is my completely original hairstyle, so I feel it was very meaningful.
Phantasy: We noticed that you've begun experimenting with Al; how has this changed your creative process?
Eda: Yes, AI is an indispensable tool for human progress, and also for a hair stylist. It can provide you with things that you can't imagine in your brain. You can present unimaginable hairstyles to your eyes through the use of algorithms, and then get a reference picture to execute, which can provide you with a lot of imagination.
Phantasy: What is on your 2025 vision board? What themes do you see yourself exploring in your next works?
Eda: In 2025, I hope to have more time to go skiing and travel. Of course, Japan is also the best place for skiing, and from Shanghai it is very convenient to go to Japan. [Laughs] for hair, I hope to continue to create more creative works with hair.
I'm going to create my next work about the power of nature, metal, wood, water, fire and earth (the five elements from Chinese philosophy). I haven't decided yet, but I'm still imagining it.
Phantasy: What advice would you give to young people who want to follow in your footsteps?
Eda: The only way to make progress is to create, stay enthusiastic and stay excited.
