There's a really interesting story behind the pink wig in 'I May Destroy You'
It's tricky to pinpoint the key theme in HBO's groundbreaking BBC one drama series 'I May Destroy You'. Writer Michaela Coel, who also starred in and part directed the show, managed to weave stories of sexual consent, race and millennial life together in such a clever, beautiful, cover-your-face-with-a-cushion kind of way, that it's tough to get it out of your head once it's all over and you can finally breathe again.
The series opens on Arabella, played by Coel, as she struggles to meet a publishing deadline for her second book. When a night out ends in sexual assault, she is forced to recall the harrowing events in order to move forward.
As vacuous as it might sound, Coel's bubblegum-pink hair stands out from the very beginning, and not just because it's pink. It plays an important part in the character's journey from confident best-selling author (that's the "Dairy Milk purple" wig) to girl on a deadline with writer's block (faded bubblegum-pink).
As a beauty editor and TV junkie, I LOVE it when the aesthetics of a show takes on a deeper meaning ('Euphoria' is another great example of this. haven't watched it yet? Do!)
The hair and makeup designer on 'I May Destroy You', Bethany Swan, spoke to Allure recently about the intricate thought process behind Coel's wigs.
"We see what she looks like at the very apex of her self-esteem when her hair glows a molten lavender," Swan explains. "Then we see how she’s changed, and how she hasn’t, from scene to scene, even before a single line is spoken."
A post shared by Bethany Swan (@bethanyswanmakeup) on Jun 15, 2020 at 6:02am PDT
Swan goes on to explain that the original script simply described Arabella as "a black girl with pink hair," but that they decided to go for a "washed-out" effect with roots to make it look lived in and a bit faded.
"Most of the trauma that happens to her happens while she's wearing that wig," Swan points out. "We didn't want it to feel too pretty," Swan points out.
In the interview, Swan (a white hair and makeup designer) also touches on how Afro hair training doesn’t come as standard in hair and makeup colleges, and how it shouldn't be treated as a specialist subject.
"When the characters come from an underrepresented background (onscreen), it’s even more important to get the little details right."
She describes the six weeks of prep and research that went into the show, working collaboratively with Michaela "to portray real-life through the characters."
"An example of this is how Black women protect their hair with head wraps during exercise and sleep and wrap their edges to set during makeup application. It’s those little nuances that hopefully add to the story."
A post shared by Bethany Swan (@bethanyswanmakeup) on Jul 17, 2020 at 10:50am PDT
Do we have an award for Best TV Wig? Can we look into this please, guys?
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