The BAFTA Television Awards are always a glittering affair, and 2024's event was no exception as the stars of The Crown, Strictly Come Dancing, Happy Valley and other award-winning British shows dressed to impress.
Ensuring the A-listers were ready to take on the legendary red carpet, Philipp Haug, lead hairdresser for the BAFTA TV Awards was on hand backstage to curl, cut and coif celebrity tresses.
"There's a real buzz backstage at the BAFTAs," Philipp tells me. "Every nominee gets the chance to book into the styling suite with us on the day. It's a lot of pressure, but it's always fun to work for an awards ceremony."
I may not have had an invite to the BAFTAs, but I did get an invite to experience Philipp's celebrity-approved hair services at his ritzy Fitzrovia salon, Haug London Haus.
Watch below to see exactly how Philipp transformed my post-workout hair into a red carpet-ready mane worthy of its own BAFTA gong. Full Q&A below…
What is your proudest celebrity hair moment to date?
"I've been quite lucky to work with a number of celebrities over the years ,especially at fashion shows, but if I had to pick one it would be Eva Herzigova," says Philipp.
"I did her hair a couple of years ago for the Dior exhibition and then again for the Fashion Awards - she's obviously one of the original 90s supermodels and was such an iconic model for me when I was growing up, that meeting her felt quite special."
The Princess of Wales was hugely missed at the BAFTA Film Awards this year. Last year, her hair looked impossibly glossy and sleek - how do you think it was achieved?
"For the kind of glossy look that Princess Kate wore at the BAFTAs, it's all in the prep. The key is always to start with a really solid base of preparation products."
Philipp explained that the Schwarzkopf Osis Grip Mousse is his secret hair weapon. "It adds a lot of hold and shine into it as you’re blow drying, then it's really important to work with a strong shine spray and strong hold product – I use Schwarzkopf Osis Session Hairspray which gives a really strong hold but also that really strong shine."
Which celebrity has the best hair right now?
"Personally, I'm a big fan of Emily Ratajkowski," says Philipp. "She has a mid-length haircut, but what is so amazing about her is that her hair is so versatile - it looks cool when it's undone, done, when it’s up, she also looks great with a fringe or with curly hair, I just feel like whatever she has she just looks so polished and cool."
Is there a particular celebrity's hair that all your clients ask for?
"Last year we were inspired by Gigi Hadid’s microfringe and mid length haircut in the Miu Miu campaign, and since she proved that shorter is chicer by chopping her length off into the iconic bob cut, we’ve noticed the 'Gigi effect' in-salon. We started calling this cut the GiGi bob, and it's swiftly becoming our most requested style of the moment.
"What sets it apart as a statement style is the length grazing the jawline - it’s not a shoulder-length long bob, it's all about a style that sits higher off the shoulders."
We've seen the old money bob, 70s bangs, copper shades and even the mullet make a return recently. In your opinion, what is the ultimate It-girl hairstyle for summer 2024?
"Alongside the bob, we’ll be seeing a lot more of the 'Mixie' - a unique blend of a pixie cut and a mullet," says Philipp.
"This sweet style combines the soft, textured, feminine essence of a pixie cut with the edgy flair of a tail peeking out from behind the ear, creating a catwalk-inspired look that exudes a high-fashion vibe.
"You can wear this cut with any colour, but it looks particularly good with a striking shade - think the Versace Spring/Summer 2024 catwalk show for inspiration. We’re also seeing a massive trend for the blow dry again, inspired by Instagram, the ‘Cowgirl Core‘ trend as seen on Beyonce, and a desire for a change from the loosely tongued wavy look that has dominated. A lot of clients are coming in wanting that kind of 90s supermodel blow dry with lots of volume and lots of body.
"It’s quite a different vibe to the tonged styling we've seen as the emphasis is more on bouncy curls blow dried into shape, so look out for this as a major trend for 2024."