Dejan Cekanovic

 
Meet The Hairstylist Notable For Working On Dolls’ Hair

Having grown up in the south of Sweden, he didn’t really know what to study so his mom suggested he become a hairdresser.

“Growing up in a working-class environment, I had never seen anything close to this crazy world with creativity, where only your brain sets the limits. And moving to London and finding creative minds just like me was overwhelming and I just did hair 24/7 for 15 years,” he says. “I’m glad that I realized that it’s all about the three Ps: passion, patience and practice. That is how I live my life even today when I am a husband and a father. “

Thanks to his mother’s advice, he went on to gain some work experience at Vidal Sassoon, to which he says he is thankful and got to work with with the likes of Madonna and Beyoncé. He has also had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most amazing hair artists and partnered with many world-renowned names, photographers and models. But it comes at a price.

The beginnings always come with challenge. For Cekanovic, it’s “definitely finding your own identity in how to express yourself with hair.”

“I learned how to do hair the right way by the book, maybe that’s why I love breaking all the hair rules and do things my own way with my own techniques.” 

He is also notable for working dolls’ hair – which is arguably a rarity in the industry.

It’s clear that hair and fashion styling is your true calling. What is it that you love about this creativity and how does it drive your work?
I wouldn’t really say I like fashion and session hairdressing, which was my primary job for so many years. I was never really into fashion, but my true calling has always been creativity and my dolls. 

For us who don’t know much about the hair doll industry, is it big? Is there a demand from clients and companies, such as movies, stages etc…? 
I’ve seen via social media that it’s more common for artists to express themselves in that way now. For me who has been doing it for 25 years. Its’ never been about selling my ideas or for anybody else to judge my work. I’ve always just been doing it for myself and that has been my therapy for years.

How do you translate your ideas/ vision into hair? How much of the process is a collaboration and how much comes from you? 
In fashion it’s all about teamwork and collaboration, but with my dolls I decide everything, from hairstyle, face paint, light and photography as I do all that by myself. That’s maybe why I like It so much, I go into my own bubble and I come back out when I’m drained and happy.  But it mostly starts with a feeling and nothing concrete. 

There is a strong, performative presence in your projects. How would you define your work?
All my projects are very different to one another but one common thing I would say is hair. Everything almost always starts with a hair idea and then I build the rest around and experiment with different expressions in light and photography for example.

For you, what defines an interesting piece of work in this time?
I would say a harmonious whole. And in a recess, you find more and more details that plays alongside too perfection. 

How would you describe your own personal style?
A technical simplicity outside the box.

“It’s definitely finding your own identity in how to express yourself with hair,” says Cekanovic