Turning his talents from modelling, Tobias Sagner has become an internationally recognised hair and make-up artist. Based in Hamburg, Tobias cites working for Wella as his most recent work to date.  We feature one of his latest shoots with photographer Frauke Fischer and stylist Mody Al Khufash, and Emma Jayne Daniels speaks to Tobias about hair, modelling and Lady Gaga.

 

What has shaped the person who you are today?

In terms of my professional life, a great deal of my formation as an artist comes from prior experience as a model and a dancer. It was really a coincidence that I started working as a model. I recently had moved back to Berlin from Lausanne (Switzerland) where I had been engaged with the Béjart Ballet. I had been booked to dance in a music video and the stylist who had worked on it told a modelling agency about me and, just a couple of months later I found myself placed with an agency based in London, bringing me work that took me to Italy and France. It was my background as a ballet dancer, I am told, that gave me a distinct presence in front of the camera. I was lucky to do shows for many big names like Raf Simons, YSL, Kenzo and Dior. As a man on the move, I was booked for numerous editorials including Vogue Hommes, Collezioni and my, biggest, an eight page spread in ID magazine. Throughout this time, I was fascinated by the work of the hairdressers I worked with, so, in looking back, everything I did in my life channelled me into the next phase. I find now that my first hand knowledge of the challenges of modelling helps me tremendously with helping the model make the most of his or her hair in front of the camera or on the runway.

Can you tell us a little about your career background, how have you gotten to where you currently are?

Well I think that the person I am and my career are largely intertwined so the answer is probably similar. I was 23, still modelling, but also totally crazy about hairstyles because it really seemed to me like some of the most creative and original work on the set and my best friend at the time opened up my eyes to what was an untapped desire to pursue it professionally. The minute it dawned on me, I saw my future crystal clear. Just one week later, I had a trainee position at Mod's Hair Paris and felt as though I had come home.

What has been your career highlight so far?

Isolating a single experience is, of course, quite difficult. However, I must say that Miss Gaga, as she calls herself, was very fascinating to work with. As with me, she is thoroughly devoted to her work and has a very clear vision of what she wants to express based on extensive training, creativity and no fear in putting herself out there. She was very humble yet proud of her success and very much admired my work on the shoot. She asked me to cut her hair and revamp her look for a couple of upcoming shows. That, of course, made me very pleased. I am looking forward to seeing her again.

What are your main sources of inspiration?

In terms of other artists, I would definitely cite Wendy Iles, Luigi Murenu and Guido as inspiration. I also very much like spending time in the streets of cosmopolitan cities like New York, Berlin, Paris and London to see what everyday people are doing. Sometimes you can find some ingenious things done by people who are not concerned about a big audience, which is quite an original source of inspiration for me. I also love architecture and find that there are many parallels between building a hairstyle and building buildings, so I also love looking at avant-garde architecture.

Hair styling and make-up are closely entwined with one another, but what do you think each gives an individual?

Let us just use a simple example. I draw eyeliner on a pure face. What we see is an eye that has been shaped, but that is it so far. Adding a certain hairstyle to it means I will decide whether the eyeliner will look punk or glamorous, 1920s or 1960s.

Does a hairstyle and make-up endeavour to compliment an outfit, or vice versa?

Indeed, they are very different forms of expression. Just because they both involve the head, the most visible part of the body, does not mean they have much in common or necessarily serve the same purpose. Makeup is really about accentuating natural strengths - striking eyes, big lips, etc. Hair is much more of a "plastic" art form, which can contort to any desired expression - it is almost 100% malleable to any idea. Where things can go wrong with makeup - over expression, flamboyance is not necessarily the problem with hair. But if the hair does not suit the face, it can still look incongruous. So as much as they work independently from one another, I always make sure that they return to a point where they are in accord.

In your opinion, what is the future of hair styling?

As much as I would like to say that there is some grand future vision for the field I think it is really, in the end, a craft that is fundamental and unchanging. The only things that change are really the tools, which certainly have offered innovations and more efficient ways of sculpting hair, but ultimately it is really about respect for using those tools well and not merely using them because they are there. Good hair is like good design - you know it when you see it - and just because it uses new technology, new colour, etc. does not mean it is what we will be doing in the future. I am most impressed by the age-old appreciation of craft and technique, which is, in the end, timeless and not a passing trend.

Can you share some of your top hair and make-up tips?

Use less or no products. Carefully look at each individual you are working with. People also underestimate the role of nutrition in the fundamental health of their hair and skin.

What are your future personal and career aspirations?　

I am hoping to expand the geographic region I work in, in the future. There is wonderful work to do here in Europe but there are of course diverse industries and approaches across the world, and I like having exposure to different contexts. I hope to soon find representation in New York to explore other markets.

　

 by Emma Jayne-Daniels

 

photography  Frauke Fischer www.fraukefischer.com

styling  Mody Al Khufash www.optixagency.de