An authentic voice with edge and new face of Authentic Beauty Concept
Creative collaboration is at the heart of Authentic Beauty Concept – from the everyday moments of beauty and trust between our hairdressing community and their clients, to the progressive partnerships that allow us to be inspired by those who make up our broader cultural network. This year, we’re excited to be expanding our universe through a collaboration with the world's most inspiring Artist, DJ and Style Icon, Peggy Gou – the new face of our brand.
Born in Seoul, Peggy studied at London College of Fashion before relocating to Berlin to pursue her dream of becoming the youngest and first female Korean artist to play at the legendary Berghain nightclub. By the end of the year, she’d achieved her goal; kickstarting a dynamic career which has since seen her travel the globe, amass a devoted following and diversify her output across creative fields.
"Authentic beauty starts with accepting yourself and knowing yourself..." says Peggy Gou, "basically, there is no right or wrong as long as you feel comfortable with that, and as long as you love it." Whether spinning records, showcasing designs at Paris Fashion Week, or producing artists on her own label, her endeavours are fuelled by a creative, curious, and open-minded outlook – and a belief in encouraging others to be themselves.
For Peggy, the music scene gives people the freedom to truly be who they are – no matter where they come from. An outlook that perfectly aligns with our values and beliefs. After all, authentic beauty is more than 'beauty' – it's everywhere, it's natural, pure and simple – and it begins the moment you decide to be yourself.
When we first introduced Authentic Beauty Concept to Peggy, our shared values of mindfulness and sustainability were immediately apparent. "What the brand stands for is the same as what I stand for," she says. "I feel we share the same motto – authentic, sustainable, and I like the fact that all the ingredients are vegan and natural." Her prior creative partnerships include partnering with a Balinese brand on a biodegradable streetwear line, and creating furniture with built-in record storage crafted from recycled waste plastic, rescued from the oceans; perfectly in line with our own mission to reduce the use of virgin plastics.
There’s plenty to come from Peggy Gou this year, but our partnership started last December with a collaborative shoot in her hometown of Berlin. Together with our Global Creative Advocate, Hester Wernert-Rijn from the Netherlands and Advocate, Said Rubaii from Germany. Peggy’s creative vision was brought to life across four different lifestyle themes personal to Peggy – TRANQUILITY, CLARITY, BALANCE and COMMUNITY – by Photographer Felicity Ingram, with the extended Creative Team, including Cinematographer Hugo Carlier and Director Felix Aaron.
Within each theme, a different look and hairstyle was crafted to show how hair is an authentic form of self-expression; for Peggy it's an expression of her mood. During TRANQUILITY a calming modern lake house is depicted, and for CLARITY it's about savouring mindful moments over coffee.
BALANCE shows how Peggy likes to keep a clear head in-between shows, using tennis as an energetic outlet. Lastly, COMMUNITY brings her love of art centre stage, within an exciting private exhibition. Together with Peggy Gou we have created beautifully inspiring images and videos to share styling techniques, product know-how and plenty of Peggy’s world with our #authenticbeautymovement.