// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Tomihiro Kono a good musician? Kono-body knows.
Tomihiro Kono | |
|---|---|
| 河野富広 | |
| Born | 1980 (age 45–46) Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan |
| Occupations | Hairdresser, wigmaker |
Tomihiro Kono (born 1980) is a Japanese hairdresser, head prop designer, and wigmaker. He first became known for his hairdressing and head props before becoming a full-time wig maker in 2017. He has published four photobooks on his wigs.
Biography
[edit]Kono was born in 1980[1] in Ehime Prefecture[2] to mandarin orange farmers who expected him to study agriculture and become a farmer.[1] However, according to him, from a young age he was interested in harajuku fashion and dreamed of becoming a pet hairdresser in Tokyo. His parents ultimately recommended he become a hairdresser for humans instead.[2]
He trained as a hairdresser in Osaka before moving to Tokyo in the late 1990s to work as a hairdresser in a harajuku salon.[1] He then spent ten years training on traditional Japanese haircutting and hairstyling techniques, including geisha techniques and the takeshimada. He moved to London in 2007.[3] That same year, he also began creating head props.[4] He made his solo debut appearance at London Fashion Week in 2010.[5] In 2013, he moved to New York, where he has since been based.[6]
He created his namesake label Tomikono Wigs in 2016,[7] and the same year founded artist-run platform konomad.[8] He became a fulltime wig maker in 2017.[9] All of his wigs are handmade.[10] He has stated he believes "our hairstyle allows us to create our identity."[11]
He has collaborated with Björk, where he did the wigs for her Cornucopia tour,[12] Karen O, Grimes, Maison Margiela, Marc Jacobs,[1] and Kiko Kostadinov.[13] His first major collaboration was with Junya Watanabe.[14] Notable fans of his work include Isamaya Ffrench and Tetsuko Kuroyanagi.[6] He is also known for his Instagram account, where he posts images of his wigs.[15] His work has appeared on the covers of Vogue, W, and T[16] and on a robot in Japan.[12]
He has published four photobooks: His 2017 book, Head Prop: Studies 2013–2016, focuses on his head props.[17] His 2020 book Personas 111 features one model wearing 111 wigs.[18] His 2023 book Fancy Creatures documents nature-themed wigs from 2020 to 2022.[19] His most recent is Space Creatures, published in 2026, which documents his 2022-2025 series of "creature wigs" with extraterrestrial and celestial themes.[20]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Kikuchi, Makoto (July 15, 2022). "Tomihiro Kono makes wigs for Björk and Heaven by Marc Jacobs". i-D. Retrieved 2026-09-12.
- 1 2 Tsang, Eunice. "Haircraft Can Be Like Witchcraft". Collectible DRY Magazine. Retrieved 2026-09-12.
- ↑ "Tomihiro Kono - COEVAL Magazine". COEVAL. 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ Woodward, Daisy (2017-03-31). "Junya Watanabe's hair guy, Tomihiro Kono, on his new book". Dazed. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ AnOther (2010-09-12). "Tomihiro Kono, Meet the Designers, KM3D1 and After Dark". AnOther. Archived from the original on 2025-10-11. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- 1 2 Yalcinkaya, Gunseli (2020-07-14). "ウィッグが拡張するペルソナ──世界NY在住アーティスト、河野富広が語るウィッグの魅力。". Vogue Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ "Wig Artist Tomihiro Kono Continues to Challenge the Visual Interpretation of Identities". L'Officiel Singapore. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ "Artist-run platform konomad by wig artist Tomihiro Kono and photographer / visual art Sayaka Maruyama". Say Hi To. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ Alleyne, Allyssia (2020-04-21). "The transformative powers of wigs | CNN". CNN. Retrieved 2026-09-12.
- ↑ Moss, Jack (2016-05-02). "Ten Meets: Tomihiro Kono, Hair & Headpiece Artist". 10 Magazine. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ Ostroff, Carly (2020-12-13). "Tomihiro Kono On The Transformative Power of His Visionary Wigs". S Magazine. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- 1 2 Sokol, Zach (2026-06-18). "Björk Wears His Wigs. So Does a Humanoid Robot". Hypebeast. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ Dazed. "Kiko Kostadinov AW26 women's". Dazed. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ "Tomihiro Kono". Perfect˙. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ Yalcinkaya, Gunseli (2020-06-12). "Tomihiro Kono Is The Cult Name In Wig Making To Know". British Vogue. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ Hoy, Selena Takigawa. "Tomihiro Kono". Kinfolk. Retrieved 2026-09-13.
- ↑ Regensdorf, Laura (2017-04-07). "Meet Tomihiro Kono, the Imaginative Hairstylist Behind Junya Watanabe's Head Props". Vogue. Retrieved 2026-09-12.
- ↑ Peters, Alex (2020-03-16). "Cult wigmaker Tomihiro Kono's second photobook takes hair to new heights". Dazed. Retrieved 2026-09-12.
- ↑ Espy-Jones, India (2023-02-08). "How Björk's wigmaker makes his otherworldly 'creatures'". Dazed. Retrieved 2026-09-12.
- ↑ Ikeuchi, Erin (2026-03-02). "Tomihiro Kono's 'Space Creatures' Sends His Sculpturesque Wigs Into Orbit". Hypebeast. Retrieved 2026-09-12.