Girls HBO Hairstylist Sherry Heart Interview

Photo: Rex USA.

It's hard for us to watch anything on TV without paying close attention to the hair. When we watch Girls, though, it's a whole new level of hair-awareness. As New Yorkers, we know firsthand how realistic the characters' hairstyles are. Whether it's the many ways Hannah styles her scrappy bob or Jessa's boho braids, watching the show often just feels like people-watching on the L train.

Plus, it's becoming increasingly evident that each unique hair situation is a thermometer for the characters' emotional climates. Evolving in perfect harmony with their character development, their hair grows up as they do. Intrigued by this mastery, we caught up with Sherry Heart, the hairstylist for Girls. Read on to learn the feelings that the hair represents and how Heart comes up with the looks.

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We've noticed that the hair on Girls has become much chicer this season. Can you speak to how the styles have changed and what those changes signify?
"The four main characters are all on a journey of self-discovery. Their hairstyles reflect what and who they are trying to be. For starters, last season Hannah cut her hair off as part of an OCD fallout. Now she's consumed with her writing and just doesn't have time for her hair. I think this season, she realizes that short hair suits her better because of that.

"Marnie has taken to wearing her hair long and often looks more polished than the other girls as part of her effort to appear as if her life is well put-together, when in fact, it's the opposite. Jessa has always been a free spirit and uses her hair as a goddess art form. It's part of her unusual personality.

"As for Shoshanna, she's always considered her hair an interpretation of what's happening in fashion magazines. Now, as school has become her main focus, her hairdos become less about fashion and more about what works with her busy schedule — though she'll never give up the quirky hairdos completely."

Photo: Courtesy of Sherry Heart.

What is it about hair that's so symbolic of emotional growth?
"When I was in my 20s, I wanted to say 'I'm an artist' — so I had every different 'do I could come up with. I think that when you're in your 20s you judge yourself much more harshly than any outsider would. Hair can make a big difference in conveying the image you want to project, as well as the way you feel about yourself. It's a big deal to state who you are and what you are trying to do with your life, especially in your 20s. The characters on Girls are all at that point."

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What sort of direction do you receive when you create the looks for the show?
"When we started filming Season Three, I was told that the girls were growing up and finding adulthood. This was a contrast from the first season, when I received notes that the girls had to be messier and more 'real-looking.' It was against my instinct to make them so messy, as a hairstylist for film and television. Now that the characters are somewhat more evolved, I can produce more stylized looks for them."

Where do you find inspiration for their hair?
"I live in Brooklyn, like the girls on the show, so many of my ideas are from the styles I see girls trying in my neighborhood. The girls and women of NYC are creative with their hair. When I see great style, I file the image away and eventually mix it with the creative part of my brain — and then Girls is what you get."

What's your favorite hair moment from the show so far?
"I love episode three of this season, 'She Said Okay.' All the girls are dressed for Hannah's birthday party and they all have awesome 'party hair.' I established everyone's hair the first day we shot the episode, even down to the funky musicians on stage. I was able to put out a lot of inventive styles. It was so much fun doing all that hair! "

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