Bianca and Wiardi nominated for the Coiffure Award 2026

What makes these nominations even more special is that they say more than just technical skill. They reflect KURO’s creative direction. About image, signature and the ability to translate hair into something that feels fashion-led, yet never distant. Wiardi’s and Bianca’s collections show exactly that: two different creative handwritings, connected by the same love for shape, texture and a strong visual instinct.

A special moment for KURO

For Wiardi, this nomination is especially meaningful because it was the first campaign he created for KURO. In that collection, he consciously wanted to bring two worlds together: his own signature and KURO’s DNA. Not as separate elements, but within one visual language where you can immediately feel both. He also looked back at KURO’s first campaign, with that characteristic light blue, and wanted to bring that feeling back in a richer, more layered 2.0 version.

That also says a lot about who Wiardi is within KURO. In an earlier interview on the KURO journal, he shared that he spent years as Bianca’s first assistant, has extensive editorial experience and already won a Coiffure Award in 2025 in the women’s category for North Holland and Flevoland.

Wiardi’s collection: creative, but always fashionable

What stands out in Wiardi’s collection is the balance between creativity and wearability. Or rather, between experimentation and a strong sense of fashion. His starting point was clear. The hair could be expressive, but it always had to stay fashionable.

You can see that in the different looks. In one image, he worked with a sleek base, donuts and a wig construction that was eventually shaved back into a sharp, almost graphic bob. Simple in concept, but all the stronger because of it. In another look, he started with natural curls and reshaped them into something more modern. The classic was pushed into something edgier, without ever feeling forced.

The waved look also shows clearly how Wiardi works. Not everything was fixed in advance. On set, there was room to build, observe, reshape and keep refining until the image carried exactly the right tension. That speed and flexibility also come from his backstage experience, which allows him to translate an idea into something visually striking very quickly. In his earlier interview on the KURO journal, that way of working already comes through very clearly.

Bianca’s collection: texture, shine and wearable men’s hair

Where Wiardi’s collection feels more sculptural and shape-driven, Bianca approached her men’s campaign from a different angle: a tension between colour, naturalness and wearability. She wanted to create something colourful, yet still rooted in something natural. For a men’s campaign, it was important to her to work with different hair textures and structures, with shine in some of the looks and with a diverse cast.

She also deliberately chose to keep retouching to a minimum. Not to make the images feel raw, but so the collection could serve as a real source of inspiration for wearable men’s hair. Hair that feels fashion-forward, but that clients can still genuinely see themselves in. Bianca’s original idea was to work with real clients as models, and although travel disruptions meant part of that casting had to be completed in Budapest, that intention still shaped the series. It kept the collection close to KURO itself: fashion-conscious, creative and still very real.

That combination of editorial thinking and true wearability also fits Bianca’s broader creative profile. KURO previously wrote about her earlier Coiffure recognition and creative signature, where high fashion, craftsmanship and a strong visual sensibility come together.

A shoot in Budapest that almost did not happen

As if the tension of a major shoot was not enough, the story already began at Schiphol. On 5 January, the day of departure, heavy snow started to fall. The flight to Budapest was stuck on the ground for a long time, even though everything on location had already been arranged: the studio, the photographer, the models for the women’s shoot and the full creative team.

In the end, it turned out to be the last flight departing from the Netherlands that day. Once they arrived in Budapest, they stepped into a complete winter landscape. Snow, white streets, grand buildings and a city that, according to Bianca, felt almost cinematic. As if the setting gave the shoot even more atmosphere than anyone had imagined beforehand.

The tension continued there too. During the women’s shoot, the team got word that part of the male model cast for the next day would no longer be able to make it because their flights had been cancelled. A local solution had to be found quickly. Through the studio owner, who also had connections in the modelling world, a new selection of male models came together in a very short time. In the end, the result almost felt as though it had always been meant to unfold that way. As if those unexpected turns became part of the final image itself.

What these nominations say about KURO

Wiardi’s and Bianca’s nominations do not feel like two separate successes. Together, they say something about KURO as a whole. About a salon and creative platform where different signatures can exist side by side without losing the core of the brand.

In Wiardi’s work, you see the urge to revisit old-school techniques and translate them into something distinctly his own. In Bianca’s work, you see the desire to bring texture, shine and diversity together in imagery that feels fashion-led, yet still close and human. That is exactly what makes this double recognition so meaningful. Not because it simply confirms award potential, but because it shows that KURO makes space for vision. For hair with an idea behind it.

From campaign image to salon chair

What may be most compelling of all is that these nominations say something not only about shoots and awards, but also about the daily standard KURO continues to set. About hair that is technically strong, visually considered and still deeply connected to the person wearing it.

Whether it is a sculptural shape, a natural texture or a perfectly placed shine in men’s hair, the strength always lies in the same combination: fashion instinct, precision and personality. That is exactly where KURO’s creative work and salon work meet.

Want to experience the work of Wiardi, Bianca and the KURO team for yourself? Book your appointment at KURO in Rotterdam and discover how editorial vision and wearable hair come together here.