Big Hair - Tapa dura

Since time began, man has strived to achieve bigger and better things than his predecessors - and hair is no exception to the rule. With the advent of the gravity-defying hair products of the eighties (sprays, gels, mousses and of course the perm), men and women at last had the means by which to comb lank, lifeless hair into frizzy new heights. And so came the inevitable pioneers who sported the hair-raising styles gathered here. Bouffants, afros and the flock of seagulls are just some of the follicular atrocities that have been vying for space in the windows of hairdressers across the country. Now they have been brought together for the first time, proving that big is not always beautiful. For everyone out there who thinks of High Barnet as more than just a tube station on the Northern Line, "Big Hair" is a tribute to the people of yesteryear who weren't afraid to think big.

James Innes-Smith's first book was Bad Hair. He is currently working on a new collection called Pet Pampering. James lived in London.