The Wig Maker

Caroline Lee is the owner of 3AM wigs in Sydney. Alongside her assistant Carla, she shows us the skills involved in creating a wig for theatrical productions.

The team use mostly human hair in the process of knotting the wigs which can take up to 40 hours. This story follows Caroline as she fits a wig on Bell Shakespeare actor William Zappa.

3AM Wigs also make wigs for film and television productions.

Wigmaking is related to hairdressing, beauty and manufacturing trades.

Hairdressers may choose to progress to wigmaking by formal means - such as through the Certificate IV in Entertainment (Wig Manufacture) or Diploma of Entertainment (Wig Manufacture). These training packages are nationally recognised courses delivered by TAFE or a local RTO.

Apprentice hairdressers focused on applying their skills in a production environment may also wish to gain specialised experience at a company that designs and/or produces wigs for commercial sale or the Entertainment industry.