Meet the Emerging Filipino Designer Who Weaves Human Hair Into Clothing

Inspired by themes of loss, grief, strength, and acceptance, Boyles uses hair to create “vessels of memory.”

A common understanding of human hair can be simple and singular: It grows, and then it gets cut. But for Roland John Boyles (Re L Boyles, or simply Boyles), exploring human hair as a material in her fashion design practice is a way to exercise introspection and plurality in thought.

The 24-year-old designer from Davao City wanted to understand experiences of hair loss, and her choice of medium allowed her to internalize her painful firsthand encounter with it. Along the way, she learned to listen to others’ stories of grief and trauma, resilience, and hope.

“The stories that resonated with me most deeply were those of cancer survivors who underwent chemotherapy. They made me realize that hair loss is not simply a change in appearance: It can facilitate self-understanding and acceptance,” she says while reminiscing about her time in research and community engagement at the House of Hope Foundation for Kids with Cancer Inc., a community that manages and nurtures children who were battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.

“I became deeply emotional. It was heartbreaking to see such young children experience something so difficult at an early age. Seeing their strength and hearing their stories left a lasting impression on me,” Boyles says.

Hair Story, her graduation collection under her namesake brand Boyles at the Philippine Women’s College of Davao, showed that human hair can be a vessel for identity and memory. Each gothic corset dress in her five-piece capsule embodies her intention to breathe life into fallen fibers that represent a journey taken and a life lived. Generous ruffles of lace and repurposed lingerie add texture to structured garments that impress dark imagery on any eye; this deliberate choice emphasizes the unfamiliar narratives and uncertain outcomes of hair loss.

Yet, the fuzzy chokers, metal brooches (from dinner cutlery), and intricate wire pendants that finish every look are imbued with the delicate recollection of her contributors: stressed students, chemotherapy patients, mothers who experienced postpartum hair loss, and individuals who experienced the same through aging.

“Through my collection, I hope to give their experiences a visual voice and encourage people to see beyond hair loss and understand the human journey behind it,” she shares.

The key look in her capsule beamed brightly during her graduation runwayRunwayThe platform or catwalk on which models present a designer's collection to an audience of editors, buyers, and guests. Runway shows establish the creative statement of a season, and Vogue'sGo to Runway Glossary. Crowning Glory, a structured white dress, swayed with the model with rhythmic vigor. “It reflects the experience of postpartum distress, where some mothers face overwhelming stress that manifests physically, such as the urge to pluck their own hair as a coping mechanism,” Boyles says. “The piece also captures the quiet yet painful moments of exhaustion during breastfeeding where even the simple act of removing a bra or its extenders can trigger discomfort and emotional strain.”

The story in each garment is potent and vivid: hair fall in the drain, aging and the passing of time, the experience of chemotherapy, and scalp infestation. All of these take form with a strong presence because of carefully handcrafted building blocks: hair. In assembling the garments, Boyles turned to history for inspiration; Victorian hair embroideryEmbroideryThe decorative stitching of designs onto fabric by hand or machine, central to Philippine formalwear. Hand embroidery from places like Lumban in Laguna and Taal in Batangas adorns barongs, ternos,Go to Embroidery Glossary techniques both fascinated and haunted her. 

“This practice, in which human hair is preserved and transformed into keepsakes, is a way of remembering a loved one by carrying a piece of them with you,” Boyles explains.

She describes the work she did to produce hair embroidery and embellishments for her dresses as meticulous yet mesmerizing: Human hair strands behaved erratically, as though each strand still held radiating life essence. Conversely, some of the synthetic hair she used for a few trinkets and accessories wasn’t as moldable as human hair. 

“I learned that working with hair as a textile material requires patience, precision, and creativity. What initially seemed like an unconventional material eventually became one of the most important elements in expressing the stories and emotions behind my collection,” Boyles says.

Her familiarity with, and command of, human hair comes from countless hours spent working salon and fashion assistant part-time jobs to fund her fashion education. The pressure of juggling these roles amid busy academic schedules led to hair loss at age 22. 

“I developed several bald spots on my head. For someone who had spent years working with hair, wigs, and beauty, this experience was piercing but manageable,” Boyles describes. She knew the medium well. “I was working in a salon as early as 13 years old. Throughout high school, I continued learning about beauty care, hair styling, wigs, and extensions. Because of that knowledge, I knew how to hide what was happening to me,”

She is generous in sharing her gift with others. In 2025, she produced wigs that brought confidence, dignity, and courage to cancer patients. The same fervent compassion guided her fashion design practice today.

“I hope that wherever fashion takes me, I will continue to create with purpose. I hope I can continue giving people a platform to tell stories that deserve to be remembered,” she says.

Boyles continues to find purpose in expressing herself through her hair and fashion. She is hopeful and ambitious. For her, there are many ways to think about hair: from loss and grief to strength and acceptance, and the styling joys and colorful wigs that life brings in between.