Last year, Francesca Allen brought Plaukai (Lithuanian for “hair”) to PhotoVogue Festival’s Women by Women, taking us into the world of a traditional long-hair competition in Lithuania. Now, she returns to the subject, continuing her exploration of the many ways women define themselves through hair.
For her new publication, Hair, Allen travelled to Las Vegas, where women from around the world gathered to compete for the inaugural title of Miss Rapunzel. She followed the contestants beyond the competition itself, from hotel rooms to casino floors and, finally, the stage where their hair is measured. Her photographs capture the curious rituals and unexpected intimacies of a pageant devoted entirely to hair.
