Enter Japanese master Katsuya Kamo’s world of fantasy headpieces

here’s something distinctly punk about Katsuya Kamo’s aesthetic. His otherworldly headpieces, designed for some of the world’s most revered fashion houses, seem to disregard the limits of millinery, often combine hair with unusual materials.

“Feathers, paper, butterflies, animals, everything,” the Japanese hairstylist and makeup artist said in his Tokyo studio, gesturing to the examples surrounding him, including outtakes from his latest collection for designer Jun Takahashi’s Undercover label.

Inside Katsuya Kamo’s studio 01:38

On the runway, the butterfly-inspired Undercover designs — each of which took a day to produce — fluttered about the models’ heads, making them appear half human, half insect.

But Kamo isn’t just looking to shock; his is a quest to create pure beauty.

“If it’s not that, then the end form cannot be complete.”