Wigging Out: Behind the scenes at Shepperton Wig Company

Posted in Places Places | 19 May 2016

Can you tell us about the process of creating a wig?
It all starts with the designer coming to us with a brief of the wig they are after. We’ll have a fitting with the actor or actress whom the wig is for, and there we gather everything we’ll need; a set of head measurements and a clingfilm shape of the head, with the hairline drawn on. It’s important to get as much information as we can at this point – we rarely have the luxury of a second fitting!

We source the hair through a hair merchant: we send them a sample of the exact colour we need, and they’ll match this for us. Sometimes these samples take an unusual form – when we made a wig for Dame Judi Dench in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, the designer wanted her hair to match the colours of her costume, so we sent the hair merchant a sample of fabric from her dress to match.

Do you always use human hair?
Mostly, although occasionally we mix in yak hair for bigger hairpieces, facial wigs and beards. This is to do with the texture; yak hair is very wiry and coarse which is great for a fuller look. Sometimes we use synthetic hair, although it can be challenging to work with. We once made a wig for a life-sized Cindy doll using acrylic hair… it took over three weeks to make. She had floor-length hair, it was a huge challenge to keep it glossy, and stop it from becoming matted and knotty!

What is the most challenging part of the job?
We’ve worked in the industry for many years, and while the physical process of wig making is still the same, we have had to adapt to technological changes and advances – such as the rise of HD television. This, of course, captures incredible detail, which means the wigs really have to be completely perfect in order to blend in and look realistic. We get around this by using super fine lace foundations which are virtually undetectable once on the head.

Sourcing natural hair has also become more challenging; these days it’s very rare to find ‘virgin’ hair, that hasn’t been dyed or mixed with hair extensions. But the main ongoing challenge for us, because we often take pieces home to work on – there’s hair everywhere! It drives our husbands mad.

What is your favourite part of making a wig?
We really love the process of knotting the hair. It takes a great deal of patience but we love the creativity involved in making something from start to finish. Along with our theatre and film work, we work with alopecia and cancer sufferers who have lost their hair. Hair is so personal, to lose it can be a big knock to your self-confidence. Making a wig for someone who has lost their hair is incredibly rewarding. It has such a transformative quality, you feel like you’ve played a small part in making someone look and feel like themselves again.

Wigging Out: Behind the scenes at Shepperton Wig Company

We meet the makers at Shepperton Wig Company

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