On the evening of September 11 in Hanoi, the finale chapter “Air – The Breath of Art” at Greenlife Legacy 2025 concluded the journey of the four elements with a highly creative live hair performance. Representing Vietnam, hair artist Nguyen Vu Hieu and the Gu Hair Team—the young collective he founded and leads—were entrusted by TWO町KABOO Hairdressing College (Shanghai) to handle the coloring for all eight looks in the collection, helping to embody a spirit of freedom, lightness, and modernity.
If form provides the structure, then color is the true breath of the work. The Gu Hair Team took full charge of color processing, breathing life into each hairstyle to highlight the idea of “Air”—freedom, movement, and constant transformation. From cool smoky shades to radiant metallic tones, every nuance was precisely crafted to heighten the visual impact on stage. More than just a play of light, the palette carried emotional expression: under the team’s artistry, each shade became a distinct “current of air”—sometimes soft, sometimes powerful, at times elusive like mist, at others radiant like the sun.
The first look made an instant impression with a modern short cut in smoky brown laced with copper highlights at the fringe. The luminous effect ignited the overall look like a spark fanned into flame within a stream of air. Next came long, flowing black hair with a sleek violet sheen, evoking an ethereal aura, as though each step on the catwalk trailed a veil of drifting smoke.
The third look featured a voluminous rounded style in chestnut brown with smoky undertones. Its warm palette, paired with light play, conveyed softness infused with energy. Following that, a bob in golden brown shimmered with subtle brilliance, each strand catching the stage lights to reveal a bold yet timeless beauty.
When the fifth model emerged, the atmosphere seemed to glow warmer, with long wavy locks brushed in copper-orange kissed with gold. The shade radiated allure, exuding the warm breath of “air” in a contemporary setting. By the sixth look, the visual drama reached a peak with an asymmetrical cut that combined pure black with silver highlights. The stark contrast embodied the duality of stillness and motion, strength and suppleness.
The seventh look returned to modern minimalism with a layered short cut in cool natural brown—unassuming yet profound, accentuating balance and refinement. The collection closed with a rebellious spirit: long, softly waved hair in jet black infused with deep red. This fiery shade embodied an unpredictable, free, and powerful current of air, both closing the chapter and opening inspiration for the transformations to come.
Under the leadership of founder Nguyen Vu Hieu, the young Gu Hair Team showcased remarkable mastery in hair coloring techniques, earning high praise from the instructors of Two町Kaboo Hairdressing College. Beyond technical precision, the team brought forward a fresh aesthetic vision—updating international color trends while retaining their own unique imprint. Their professionalism ensured seamless collaboration with the international crew, even in the face of language barriers. Throughout the process, Gu Hair Team maintained a humble and open-minded spirit, always willing to listen and learn. As a result, they were recognized not only as promising young stylists but also as emerging color artists making their mark on the international stage.
Their presence in the “Air” collection stands as proof of the capability of Vietnam’s new generation of hair creators—innovative, confident, and ready to integrate globally. This success not only opened opportunities for the youth to directly engage with the rigorous standards of the international hair industry but also inspired the Vietnamese hair community to continue advancing with skill and sustainable creativity.
Sharing after the event, Hieu affirmed: “It was a great honor to collaborate with Master Panda and the Two町Kaboo College, but more importantly, it was the motivation for me and Gu Hair to keep learning, innovating, and affirming the unique identity of Vietnamese hair artistry on the global map.” This collection also marked a milestone—over eight years of accompanying clients through the GU Hair Salon brand, defined by its natural, refined, and personalized approach to hairstyling.
For Nguyen Vu Hieu, Gu’s vision extends beyond international hair fashion showcases. It lies in the aspiration to bring global standards directly into the daily experiences of clients in Vietnam. To him, “internationalization” is not just a label but a continuous process of learning, embracing new trends, and transforming them into personalized designs for every individual. The future of Gu, therefore, is an expansive journey—stepping out into the world while bringing the world closer to each Vietnamese client.
