The extraordinary beauty of ginger haired girls

The extraordinary beauty of ginger haired girls

Red hair makes you conspicuous, as it is the rarest of all hair colours, occurring in only 0.6 percent of people world wide. Myths and stereotypes have followed redheaded women since the beginning. It has been believed across many different cultures that redheads turn into vampires when they die, bring bad luck, are witches and soulless. These superstitions have continued to this day.

My project started when I dyed my hair red, and discovered a new identity where stereotypes were projected onto me, and I started to feel a sense of shame as a result. I found this experience particularly insightful and felt a connection and empathy to people with this incredible unique colour of hair. As a result I began to explore redheads, with a particular focus on redheaded girls.

Through “The Extraordinary Beauty of Ginger Haired Girls,” I celebrate red hair’s distinctiveness and challenge traditional beauty standards. Nature-inspired symbols – snakes, butterflies, fish, and water represent transformation and rebirth. Butterflies emerging from their cocoon, releasing a red liquid symbolic of menstrual blood, illustrate the profound change from innocence to self-awareness. Yet, societal norms often teach girls to shame and silence their bodies during this pivotal transition, obscuring the authentic experience of their transformation.

The young woman appears otherworldly, easily negotiating the space between reality and myth. Delicate, but powerful at the same time. My work explores the stereotypes of ginger haired girls, by placing them in a fictitious world where they are free to immerse themselves in the natural world, symbolising the extremes of good and evil……fairytale hero or villain. Through this project, I aim to prompt a reexamination of the ways in which society perceives and portrays ginger-haired girls, femininity, and the transition from girlhood to womanhood, encouraging a reflection on the persistence of outdated ideals and the potential for renewal.

© 2025 Stefanie Langenhoven. All rights reserved.