The Curly-Hair Celebrity Stylists Redefining Hollywood Beauty

"Red-carpet hair" once meant long, straight, and shiny—no matter what your natural texture. But as Hollywood (finally!) grows more diverse, and stars like Janelle Monáe and Kerry Washington make it a point to show off creative styles that run the gamut from jewel-encrusted waves to teased-out Afros and intricate braids, we’re seeing individual flair become the norm rather than the exception. Meet four top hairstylists who have been instrumental in bringing about that major change.

Lacy Redway, 32, is one of the few women—not just women of color—in what is traditionally the boys’ club of high-fashion hairstylists. Having started out assisting runway and editorial greats like Guido Palau and Eugene Souleiman, she’s now outpacing them as the A-lister for everything from magazine covers to awards shows. “I like to do untraditional hairstyles on untraditional textures,” she says. “For example, doing a Marcel wave on natural hair, the way I did with Uzo Aduba [at the 2018 SAG Awards]. I love being able to educate everyone on black culture through my work and making people feel their most beautiful.”

She knew early on this was her dream job. “I was the girl in middle school braiding everyone’s hair for $10. That’s how I got my start: practicing on friends, doing zigzag cornrows and other designs. Braiding has always been a core part of my foundation, so it still comes up a lot in my work.”

The hair conversation is changing. “With there being so many more roles opening for actors of color and women, everyone has become more comfortable embracing what makes them their most authentic self. One day you can wear natural hair and one day a wig, and that’s OK. It’s more about celebrating who you are and not being put in a box.”

But there’s still work to be done. “I’m often the only person of color on set for a major photo shoot, so I try to make it my business to help other women of color. We’re still the minority. I hope that will change so we are able to feel like we belong on these sets.”

Her kit essential:Nexxus Comb Thru Volume Finishing Mist ($14, ulta.com). “This is my go-to hairspray for all textures. When I’m on a shoot where I have eight different styles to do, it’s light enough that I can easily brush it out and transition the look.”

Clients: Uzo Aduba, Jourdan Dunn, Ashley ­Graham, Ruth Negga, Olivia Palermo, Tessa Thompson

Tennessee-born Nai’vasha Johnson’s breakthrough moment was styling Zendaya’s pixie for the 2015 Grammys. Now her versatile touch with everything from voluminous curls to box braids has made the 40-year-old one of the busiest stylists in showbiz. She’s a student of all things hair: Her home is scattered with mannequins that are subject to her every styling whim, and she spends days researching historical references and consulting runway reports for inspiration. “I continuously study trends and shapes,” she says. “Studying and practicing are the most important tools to sharpen my skills.”

It’s good to stick up for what you want. “Clients are starting to put their foot down and say, ‘Listen, if you want me on your runway, then I need someone who understands my hair and my journey to be accessible to me—period.’”

Homework always pays off. “A lot of times I look to older celebs, like Diana Ross or Eartha Kitt. I really reach back and try to go from there. Opening up your books—I mean encyclopedias, not Google—makes you open up your mind and learn a thing or two.”

Don’t let others define you. “I’m known for doing really funky colors on textured hair. The color is as bright as it would be on straight hair, and the hair maintains its texture without damage. But I don’t want to be boxed in as a black hairdresser. I want to be known as a phenomenal hairdresser who knows her craft and artistry and happens to do a great job on African and African American hair.”

Her kit essential:Hicks Edges Pomade ($14, walmart.com). “I use it on the hairline for a clean look and also for super-tight ponytails. It gives maximum hold without feeling heavy.”

Clients: Logan Browning, Sasha Lane, Yara Shahidi, Zendaya

Just like the musicians she styles, Nikki Nelms has got range—you’ll see her create everything from Bardot-­inspired bouffants to Afro puffs adorned with rolling googly eyes on her clients. Safety pins, earrings, foliage, and pom-poms are all fair game for her hair art. And whether it’s seashell-adorned braids on Solange Knowles or a platinum blond pixie on Zoë Kravitz, Nelms’ looks are always eye-catchingly cool, and her influence trickles down to the masses. “Celebrities should lead the way and make people at home think, I want to do that,” she says.

Think outside the box. “Using things that have nothing to do with hair make [any style] more interesting. I’m always pushing myself to be unconventional. Sometimes I don’t even have things in my kit because it forces me to get more creative on-site.”

A hair statement isn’t always a political statement. “It’s not a movement when someone decides to be themselves. When you go on a red carpet as a celebrity and choose to be your natural self and people consider that a movement or a protest, I think that says more about the interpreter than the interpreted. What is the big deal with me wearing what I was born with?”

She’s on a mission for the next gen. “I want to show little black girls how amazing we are without needing to be cosigned. We don’t need to be imitated to know our worth.”

Her kit essential:Sebastian Shaper Plus Hairspray ($19, ulta.com). “I like to spray this on my rattail comb, then run it over the hair to smooth down flyaways.”

Clients: Solange Knowles, Zoë Kravitz, Janelle Monae

Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, 42, has always been focused: She got her cosmetology license, landed a job in a Manhattan salon, and moved out on her own all before the age of 20. It was that same salon job that led to her first celebrity client, Kerry Washington, with whom she still works more than a decade later. And while she’s not afraid to tease coils to the max (google Washington’s Met Gala Afro) or play with butt-grazing platinum wigs (she has her own extensions line called TSD Hair), she also encourages her clients to maintain optimum hair health so they can effortlessly embrace their natural texture when they want to. “I’m always telling people things like: Put this product in your hair because it doesn’t have that much alcohol, use conditioner, or don’t use the flatiron every day,” she says. “I educate them along the way.”

It takes one person to start changing what’s “normal.” “When we walk in with natural hair, [people are] like, ‘This hair is so difficult. How do you do it? Can I touch it?’ The first thing they want to do is blow it out. Kerry was one of the first to have natural hair on the red carpet. Now natural hair is just a look.”

Add some wow factor. “I love using my extensions and wigs in a creative way. Cynthia Erivo’s hair is super-short—maybe two to three inches—but when I gave her two braids past her butt, it was the biggest hit because [it captured] her edgy personality.”

She gets her ideas by steering clear of trends. “I like to be different. If everyone is straight, I want to go big and curly.
I look at Instagram to see what people are doing, then I change it up. Like for the Met Gala, I knew everyone was going to have a crown. So when it came to styling Kerry, we went with the Lorraine Schwartz jewelry sitting in the hair instead.”

Her kit essential:Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask ($7, walmart.com). “I use it
as a leave-in on clients with curly and natural hair. I also use it to braid hair and knock down flyaways.”

Clients: Mary J. Blige, ­Cynthia Erivo, Mindy Kaling, Kerry Washington

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