Sophie Von Haselberg/girls w curls
A long time friend and muse Sophie Von Haselberg graced us with her always fun company and her lucious mane of golden curls. She can be seen in “Give Me Pity!” starring as Sissy St. Claire who gets to perform in her very own TV special which doesn’t turn out as expected - but expect to see many retro looks, disco balls, glitter outfits, and Stars and Stripes prints in this brilliant piece. Scroll on down and check our chat about her look/style on and off camera, inspirations, Carrie Bradshaw love and of course her bare hair essentials. #clawclipsrule!
The Bare Magazine: Please tell us about the many looks you got into for your film "give me pity!" what were your favorites?
Sophie Von Haselberg: An impossible question to answer! Like a parent being asked to pick a favorite child! Tania Becker (hair), Erin Walters (Makeup), and Jamie Ortega (costumes) really charted the character's journey from hopeful star to despairing and unhinged. If I HAD to pick a favorite, the look we did for the 'Psychic' sketch blew me away with how it balanced traditional aesthetics with something dark and mysterious. You'll know it if - no, WHEN!- you watch the movie! Jamie found a vintage seafoam Balenciaga blouse with shoulder pads that were juuust an inch or two more extreme than a normal sihlouette; Erin picked the perfect shade of shiny plum for my lips and paired it with a dramatic winged liner; and Tania topped it off with the pièce de resistance: tons of out-there, intricate edging around my forehead that almost looks like I'm underwater.
Bare: Were your lovely curls a bit damaged by the end of production from all the wear and tear?
SVH: Tania and I joked that I would basically have 4 strands of hair left by the end of the shoot. But somehow, even after doing 2 or 3 looks a day, it bounced right back! I credit New Wash and the brevity of the shoot (we shot the whole thing in 5 days) with the fact that I emerged unscathed. And of course Tania was very judicious with how much heat to use on my hair.
Bare: How often do you shampoo your hair?
SVH: The eternal question. I know many curly people subscribe to the doctrine that washing your hair is akin to taking a brillo pad to your tresses, but my scalp loves a wash! If I'm using New Wash, it's so gentle that sometimes I'll even wash every.damn.day. Heresy, I know! And then once every couple of weeks I'll use Act + Acre shampoo to properly cleanse the scalp. There are few things more mortifying than a flaky scalp!
Bare: Diffuse or not to diffuse?
SVH: For our shoot, I diffused like crazy. It's the only way to make my curls get that wilder Carrie Bradshaw Season 1 look -- either that, or sleep with my hair wet, which works wonders 60% of the time and looks deranged the other 40%. But day-to-day, I let it air-dry and then comb through the curls with my fingers.
Bare: On our shoot you didn't have product in your hair. do you prefer to leave it bare?
SVH: I went Bare Hair 4 Bare Mag! I tend not to use products because my hair is fine, so if I use anything close to my roots, I end up looking like Kramer in that Seinfeld episode where he's battling low water pressure.
Bare: Do you enjoy a blow out to straighten it now and then?
SVH: Oh I love a blowout every now and again. When I get my hair cut and they ask if I'd like to see it with my natural texture I'm quick give a "Hell no!" I want that sweet, sleek blowout. Then I try to make it last for days, hoping to mask the fact that I haven't washed my hair by putting it into assorted funky styles.
Bare: Any curly haired icons or inspirations?
SVH: The aforementioned Carrie Bradshaw Season 1 look, of course. I recently went to see Kate Berlant's show KATE and was overwhelmed with jealousy at the mane she's got going on. And maybe it's because I was a young lass when this came out, but I dream of Kate Hudson's look in Almost Famous.
Bare: Who is your go-to hairdresser and colorist? do they cut it dry or wet?
SVH: I usually go to my girl Brandy McDonald, who I met on a set a bunch of years ago. She's just fucking cool, and therefore I trust that she will help me achieve peak cool. She usually cuts my hair wet, then lets it dry with my natural texture and cuts into it some more... And then, of course, I beg her to blow it dry. I only get highlights about once a year- usually when I'm feeling restless- and I'll go see Tracey Cunningham at her salon Mèche. She used to be my nanny (!), so we have a special bond, plus she's the best in the biz.
Bare: Please list your top 5 bare hair essentials.
New Wash Regular -- I started using this three years ago and it's the only thing I use on my hair. It took me a beat to get used to it -- you have to use way more than you think in order for it to really cleanse. But once I got the hang of it, I never looked back.
Tangle Teezer -- if you are a person whose hair gets tangled, well... The clue's in the name! These come in a variety of colors and look like a gigantic bean, which satiates my magpie need for shiny, colorful things. I use this to comb out my wet hair but also to brush through dry curls for a bit of fun frizz and to detangle.
A Claw Clip -- groundbreaking, I know. I often go down youtube rabbit holes watching Gen Z'ers use claw clips in creative ways, but even after all that research, I usually pile my hair high on top of my head and secure it with said clip for a floppy, sort of silly/sort of chic look.
Aquis Hair Towel -- I'm not sure if this actually does anything different from a regular terrycloth towel, but nonetheless, I've been using it with gusto since highschool.
Dyson Diffuser -- first I have to give the obligatory caveat that any Dyson product is ludicrously expensive. When I think about the fact that I bought this, I wonder if I was in a fugue state. But I did it because my arm does not have the strength for the heft of a regular blowdryer, and because this one is so quiet that I actually use it.
Founder & Editor in Chief - The Bare Magazine
