How Hair Bender Sean Bennett Is Channeling Dr. Seuss Through His Wigs
“The people that wear my stuff are chameleons.”
Sean Bennett is not just a hairstylist — he’s a self-proclaimed hair bender. After dropping out of high school, Bennett found himself naturally gravitating towards hair — whether that meant serving as his mom’s personal hair dresser or cutting his teeth at his first-ever salon job. Today, his extensive absurdist portfolio has grown to include everything from woven angel wings to penis-shaped updos and candelabra-sculpted wigs.
Inspired by the “local weirdos” of the New York City clubbing scene, Bennett’s body of work is a culmination of both his community and his childhood fantasies. Bridging the gap between the influential past and the transcending future, he’s crafted looks for a chameleonic clientele — such as ’80s socialite Susanne Bartsch and Cole Escola as Mary Todd Lincoln in “Oh, Mary!”
Driven by his Seussian imagination and deep interest in technique, Bennett’s creations are whimsically haphazard while also maintaining a sense of careful intentionality. After everything he’s accomplished so far, Bennett has finally landed on his own personal sweet spot — one he says is at the intersection of fashion, art, theater and nightlife.
Below, we talk to Bennett about his chaotic creative process and his recent full circle moment.
On His Humble Beginnings
I dropped out of high school before my senior year, because I was a really bad teenager. I had always been doing hair in some context — whether it was one of my friend’s hair or my mom’s hair. My grandmother was also a big inspiration — she had this bleach blonde candy-flossed beehive updo she would whip up every day, and as a wee homo, that was really defining for me. So after I dropped out, I floated around for a little bit. I worked at Disney as a Jungle Cruise skipper, and I finally went to hair school in Orlando. After that, I lived in Miami for five years where I got more formal training. My first job out of hair school was at a salon called Vidal Sassoon, where I worked and studied a really foundational aspect of hair styling and cutting.
When I was living in Miami, I also started coming to New York to party. [I would] go out and meet the local weirdos. So, after five years of Miami I was over it and I wanted to come to New York. I officially moved here 11 years ago — when I moved here, I had already [built] a good network of people I had met from going out at clubs at night like Westgay and Susanne Bartsch’s “Vandam Sundays,” so I was able to kind of mesh my fingers into the fabric of society pretty well.
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On His Signature Aesthetic
I’d say my work is very Seussian — and kind of absurdist. I’m very “in the moment,” so [my work] has this haphazardly drawn together feeling. The people that wear my stuff are chameleons — people who are not afraid to change their outward appearance. They’re mostly performance artists, comedians, queerdos and deplorable.
On His Creative Process
A lot of anxiety — a lot of writing things down on Post-it Notes around my studio, a lot of overthinking and a lot of hemming and hawing. I’ll usually break down the process of creation into each individual step and write those steps down on Post-it Notes. As I’m making something, I’ll rip up the Post-it notes with the step I finished as I go along.
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On His References
A lot of my inspiration [comes from] the process. I’m really inspired by the process of making something. I’m also really interested in technique and craft, along with the integral process. Growing up, I was really inspired by this show Zoom which was on “PBS.” They were always making stuff. They would always be creating things, and I think that had a big impact on me. The kids on the show would make these Rube Goldberg machines — which were like multi-step process installations that would wind up. They were like large, kinetic sculptures. I think I was really inspired by that.
On His Favorite Creation
I love everything I’ve really been doing lately. After a decade in the city of chipping away at my identity and style, I’ve come to this sweet spot of a hybrid of all of the facets. The city can offer everything from fashion and art to theater and nightlife. I’ve combined them all into this repertoire of identity. The “Oh, Mary!” wig, everything with Susanne [Bartsch], working with small designers before they get big — all of it together is my favorite wig.
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On His Plans for the Future
I’m having a very full circle moment at the end of the year at Art Basel. A friend asked me to contribute a piece to a show he’s curating. Before I moved out of Miami, I had worked with a photographer on a shoot that he displayed during Basel — so this is a very full circle moment, which is really affirming. Other than that, honestly I want to win a Tony — that sounds fierce. I also want to try and get a union job with retirement and benefits — and make my mother happy.
