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At the DSM × Kei Ninomiya show, all eyes moved upwards as models took to the runway with razor-sharp mohawks, dreadlocks and liberty spikes, some dyed acid green, orange and pink, each blooming into an arrangement of fresh wildflowers. The looks were the work of Paris-based hairstylist Pablo Kuemin, whose sculptural wigs and hairpieces have become recognisable for their punk styling.

While his approach to hair has always been tied to identity, it took him time to find his own growing up in the postcard-perfect Swiss countryside. “I struggled a lot with my identity as a Swiss-born hairstylist with a seemingly perfect childhood. I kept asking myself what I had to offer in terms of cultural references," he explains. It wasn’t until he discovered the work of Swiss youth-culture photographer Karl-Heinz Weinberger that his perspective shifted. “I borrowed my brother’s passport and started going to underground techno rave parties all over Europe. In that scene we shaved each other’s heads, coloured and cut hair, used wigs,” he recalls.

From the jagged, cropped silhouettes he created for Vetements SS27 to his intimate wig work for Emily Lipson’s photographic series Dykes, those underground scenes became a foundation for the worlds that Kuemin draws from today. “When time allows, I try to build the world the hair lives in before I create the hair itself,” he says. “It makes the work easier for me, and it helps my team and others understand it too.”

Below, we talk to the artist about his recent work, his beauty inspirations and the references behind his creations.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and where you grew up?

Pablo Kuemin: I grew up in the Swiss countryside, the kind of place where a neighbour would knock on your door in the morning to ask for milk and sugar, and where opening your window revealed a scene straight off a postcard. From a very young age I had the privilege of travelling the world, often to unusual places. My mother loved exposing us to different cultures, and she would always take the side road on our trips so we could experience them in all their faces.

Both of those experiences shaped the man I am today: a love of nature and calm, but also a need for constant change and a little chaos. I adapt easily to every new place and every new set of surroundings.

How did you get into hair styling?

Pablo Kuemin: For a long time I wanted to become a designer and study at Central Saint Martins in London. I was good at school, but around 14 the thought of studying for many more years was a real no-go for me.

By 15 I had the chance to take an apprenticeship as either an architect or a tailor; both appealed to me, since I loved working with my hands and drawing. But around the same time I borrowed my brother’s passport and started going to underground techno rave parties all over Europe. In that scene we shaved each other’s heads, coloured and cut hair, and used wigs. My friends kept telling me I had a talent for it and that I should become a hairdresser. So I listened, and I never looked back.

The Mohawk looks you created for the DSM × Kei Ninomiya project were so striking. Can you run us through the creation of those looks, from the initial concept through to the final execution?

Pablo Kuemin: I had more or less carte blanche, so I did what I love best: I closed myself in my studio for a day and brainstormed. I came up with the different flower-integration ideas for the looks, then shared them with Kei Ninomiya and Makoto’s team. We quickly realised we were all speaking the same language.

Creating the looks was the easy part. I was completely in my comfort zone. In my early days, I built a lot of larger structures, even made dresses out of hair, so I knew how to handle the weight of the flowers, integrate them, and finish everything just moments before the show so the flowers would stay fresh. We even considered small water sources inside the wigs to keep them alive, but in the end we decided against it.

Subculture seems to be a recurring thread throughout your work. Which subcultures have had the biggest influence on your creative practice, and what continues to draw you to them?

Pablo Kuemin: I’d been drawn to punk and to subcultures since I was a kid, but that struggle stayed with me until two things happened. First, I found the Karl-Heinz Weinberger book in an old bookshop in Paris, and discovered that the Swiss community had its own subculture. I could completely relate to some of the coolest images I’ve ever seen. It changed my narrative entirely.

The second was a lot of internal conversation, trying to understand myself. I realised that almost all of my work is tied to my life experiences as a kid and a teenager, being fascinated by all these things I saw and that the underground parties had a strong influence too. All of these things shaped me and my work.

What's been your career highlight so far?

Pablo Kuemin: My top three are: Selling a wig at a Sotheby’s auction during Art Basel for €14,000; my work with Tim Walker for the Getty Museum; and the recent DSM show, which carried a lot of emotional value for me because I was booked for it through a personal project.

Describe your beauty aesthetic in three words.

Pablo Kuemin: Raw, considered, changing.

What is your current obsession?

Pablo Kuemin: Still wigs.

What does beauty mean to you?

Pablo Kuemin: Freedom.