Anna Sawai x Harper’s Bazaar Japan Magazine
For her Harper’s Bazaar Japan cover, Anna Sawai wore a textured hairstyle that felt relaxed and understated. Anh Co Tran created a loose, casual ponytail with soft face-framing pieces, keeping the finish intentionally imperfect, as if Anna had styled it herself. For select shots, he also transformed the ponytail into a relaxed knot. Here’s how he created her looks for the editorial shoot.
The Foundation
Anh began by applying three palmfuls of Monochromatic Froth Blowout Foam to Anna’s damp hair, distributing the product evenly from roots to ends. He followed with one pump of Milbon’s Illuminating Glow Oil from the Gold Line, concentrating it mostly on the ends. Then, he worked a pea-sized amount of Monochromatic Velvet Texturizing Cream through the mid-lengths and ends, with a touch at the roots for added texture.
After rough-drying, Anh smoothed out her hair with a blow dryer. He skipped the flat iron for this style in order to preserve the hair’s natural texture and movement.
The Ponytail
The inspiration for this look was a subtle, casual ponytail, as though Anna had effortlessly styled it herself. Anh gathered her hair into a loose ponytail, then worked texture into the roots with Weightless Dry Texture Spray 4 to create a more lived-in finish.
He pulled out select pieces around the front to create soft face-framing details, then added more Weightless Dry Texture Spray 4 throughout to build dimension without making the style feel too polished.
The Knot
For select shots, Anh transformed the ponytail into a loose bun. He applied Monochromatic Puff Finishing Paste to the ponytail to add grit and texture, then twisted it into a relaxed knot and secured it with pins. The goal was to keep the bun looking casual and undone, as if Anna had simply twisted her hair up herself.
The Finishing Details
To maintain the textured finish throughout the shoot, Anh misted Anna’s hair throughout with Weightless Dry Texture Spray 4. He finished with Milbon Flex Memory Hairspray 7 to give the overall style more hold while preserving its movement and effortless feel.
The final looks captured the beauty of undone styling: soft texture, relaxed shapes, and just enough detail to feel intentional without looking overly styled.
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Hair: @anhcotran
Makeup: @yukari.makeup
Manicure: @akane_paris
Styling: Anna Klein
Coordination: Masaé Takanaka
Realization: Atsuko Kobayashi
Jewelry: @cartier
Photos: Joan Braun