Gloss Angeles Episode Summary

Episode Title: Stranger Things Set Stories and "Cool Danish Girl” Style With Hair Designer Sarah Hindsgaul
Hosts: Kirbie Johnson & Sara Tan
Guest: Sarah Hindsgaul (Emmy-nominated hair designer, Stranger Things)
Release Date: January 9, 2026

Main Theme

This episode dives deep into the behind-the-scenes of Stranger Things with its acclaimed hair designer Sarah Hindsgaul. The conversation unpacks everything from fan conspiracy theories to emotional farewells, set stories, the launch of Sarah’s new haircare line, and the philosophy of “cool Danish girl” style. The episode’s tone is warm, witty, and candid, blending industry insight with personal moments.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The End of Stranger Things & Online Conspiracy Theories

• The hosts acknowledge fan anxieties and speculations around a secret final episode (“conformity gate”), which Sarah calmly dispels.
  • Sarah: “I think this story has ended.” (02:37)
• The group reflects on why letting go of such a beloved series is hard—a true “grieving” process for both fans and crew.
  • Sarah: “You go through, like, different stages of grieving, and one of the stages of grieving might be denial.” (03:39)

2. Becoming a Hair Designer: Danish Roots & New York Awakening

• Sarah talks about starting her career at 15 in Denmark, her love for painting and sculpting, and the seriousness of Norwegian and Danish hair culture.
• Moving to New York was “a hard wake-up call” due to new textures, techniques, and even language barriers:
  • Sarah: “Why are they not letting me cut hair? I’m so great. And they were like, ‘Sarah, you can’t even have a consultation. People don’t understand what you’re saying.’” (17:04)
• The importance of communication in both salons and with actors on set:
  • Sarah: “The biggest mistakes that happen in hair salons... it’s because you have a bad consultation.” (18:06)
  • On set, consultations with actors begin six months or more out, ensuring character arcs drive hair design. (20:30)

3. Signature Style: “Cool Danish Girl” Aesthetic

• Danish beauty is about understated, effortlessly undone style:
  • Sarah: “Anything overdone just makes you look super uncool. And I think the Danish people have gotten that down. ...Maybe you just want to fuck it up a little bit.” (23:06)
  • On fashion and hair: “You do everything perfectly and then you break it.” (24:47)
• Contrasts with heavier American styling; the ideal is “light, casual, a little bit off.”

4. On-Set Stories: Wigs, Wakes, and Iconic Cuts

• Sarah reveals the joys and challenges of managing wigs and natural hair, especially under time pressure, culminating in the decision to use more actors’ real hair in the final season.
  • “The beautiful thing that we were able to do this year was to actually remove a lot of the wigs and use their own hair at the very end, which gave a very... honest and light [feeling].” (22:37)
• Memorable stories include chasing actors around for last-minute wig fittings (21:27), and the emotional responsibility of shaving Millie Bobby Brown’s head for Eleven’s origin.
  • “I was absolutely terrified... spent some time with Millie before we did that… But she was so okay and had actually a blast while I was cutting it off.” (32:17—34:13)

5. Haircare Philosophy: Simplicity & Scent

• Sarah debuts her own haircare line, designed for speed, multi-purpose use, and minimal scent:
  • “A lot of these hair products are just very over perfumulated... I don’t want to be defined by my hair product. I want to choose my perfume.” (11:17)
• Products are created to be foundational—simple salt scrubs, flexible masks, dry shampoo with no texture, non-sticky mousse:
  • “I wanted a product line that is very, very simple that everybody can understand.” (28:04)
• Eco/conscious packaging and formulas per feedback from “hardcore” young clientele who want ingredient transparency and sustainability. (30:22)

6. Set Antics: Rule-Breaking and Hair Challenges

• Fun rapid-fire: Noah Schnapp was the “rule breaker” (always sneaking haircuts before filming) and Natalia Dyer loved her wigs the most. (36:44–40:28)
• On the infamous bowl cut:
  • “We needed him [Noah/Will] to not feel maybe at his best. So the awkwardness that that bowl cut makes you feel before you go on screen, we needed that.” (38:41)
• Fan speculation about song choices: Sarah soft-dodges Purple Rain conspiracy, noting it was a personal favorite and in the works “very early.” (43:59)

7. Emotional Impact: From Crew to True Fan

• Sarah describes how working on Stranger Things became both a family affair and something she could enjoy as a fan:
  • “This has so much story and so much heart that I completely forget about what I actually contributed. Who cares about the fucking hair?” (46:13)
• Watching the finale in theaters: “I was just standing there crying until Kate, one of the writers, just came and helped me and said, you’re going to be okay.” (45:14)

8. Upcoming Documentary

• Preview of the Stranger Things documentary, praised for its honest, crafty look at the crew and creators, especially the Duffer brothers:
  • “It is so pure and so honest… I kind of hope she'll make another 10 movies out of it.” (47:04)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “What you seek, you will find.”
  — Host 3’s advice to conspiracy theorists (03:00)
• “You go through different stages of grieving, and one ... might be denial.”
  — Sarah, on the end of Stranger Things (03:39)
• “Anything overdone just makes you look super uncool... Maybe you just want to fuck it up a little bit just so it looks like you don't care that much.”
  — Sarah (23:06)
• “I wanted a dry shampoo with no texture in it and I could not find it.”
  — Sarah, on product innovation (26:36)
• “I just wanted that perfect foundation.”
  — Sarah, on her new line’s philosophy (29:08)
• “If I put more product in my hair, I don't want it to feel like I have more product in my hair.”
  — Host 3, summing up modern haircare needs (29:30)
• “Who cares about the fucking hair?”
  — Sarah (46:13)
• “When I saw the documentary, I was. It is so pure and so honest.”
  — Sarah (47:04)

Mini-Timestamps of Key Segments

• Stranger Things ending explained (02:37–05:28)
• Sarah’s origin story & career start (14:47–17:18)
• Consultations & set process (20:30–22:20)
• Danish style & beauty philosophy (23:06–25:20)
• Launching her haircare line (09:24–13:32, 28:04–30:22)
• Millie Bobby Brown’s head shave (32:17–35:13)
• Fun rapid-fire round (39:20–42:01)
• Documentary preview (47:04–49:47)

Engaging Takeaways

• Danish style: perfection, then purposeful imperfection.
• Hair design is storytelling—consult early and often.
• Innovation comes from need (and lack of “good enough” products).
• The cast and crew are as emotionally invested as the fans.
• Modern haircare should be simple, scent-conscious, and eco-friendly.

If you’re a Stranger Things fan, hair-obsessed, or just love a great set story—this episode is a gem.