How Missy Elliott’s Epic “Iconology” Braid Was Made
When Missy Elliott surprised fans last night with the midnight drop of her “Iconology” EP, the superstar’s new music wasn’t the only subject of discussion. The cover of Elliott’s first release since 2005’s “The Cookbook” was appropriately epic thanks to a mammoth braid that spelled out her name in cursive font. A lesser legend would have utilized Photoshop to create the desired effect, but Elliott and her innovative glam squad relied on ingenious design. Tasked with conceiving multiple styles for the release’s corresponding art, hairstylist Kellon Deryck wanted to exceed expectations. “After creating five looks for her I woke up the morning prior to the shoot and I didn’t feel it was enough,” he says. “I sat down to sketch up some ideas that came to mind and came up with the ‘Missy’ braid ponytail.”
To take the concept from sketch to reality, Deryck enlisted the help of graphic designer Jo'V to create a stencil in a vector file. With constraints on time, Deryck did all he could to get things turned around quickly, even if it meant asking the printers to put in overtime. When his first version came out too small, Deryck had to find a last-minute solution. “I called FedEx/Kinkos to print me out the largest poster that they could make in office,” he explains. “They agreed but it would take yet another 3 hours for them to print. By the time I picked up the stencil it was now 7 pm and I had until 9 am to complete the look, all unbeknownst to Missy.”
Committed to seeing his vision through, Deryck worked into the wee hours at his salon. “It took hot gluing a thousand braids together to create the mold for the “Missy” cover art,” he says. Once he reached the halfway point, Elliott had to give final word on the creation. “I decided to see if the look was even worth finishing for the morning and FaceTime Missy for approval,” he says. “When she gave me the green light, I powered through the rest and created what you see now.”
But the all-nighter was only one half of the battle. Once the hair sculpture was finished, Deryck had to find a way to affix it to Elliott’s head. The task was complicated by the sheer size of the piece but once again, Deryck found an inspired work around. “That morning on set, due to the sheer weight of the braids, we had to hang the ponytail with clear threads to a beam,” he says. “When she got to the set, we braided her in and the rest is now history. The mission was accomplished.”
Though his epic ponytail was instantly iconic, Deryck continues to push the boundaries of what you can do with hair. With this morning’s release of Elliott’s “Throw It Back” music video, he introduced the world to double Dutch braids and is sure to have something inventive in store for next week’s MTV Music Awards, where Elliott will receive the Video Vanguard prize for her groundbreaking career. For his part, Deryck is grateful to collaborate with an artist who allows him to express himself to the fullest. “Working with a legend like Missy always pushes your creativity to the max,” he says. “She has been a staple in the industry for multiple decades and has always been known for being ahead of her time, so it pushes you to create things that have never been done before.”
Originally Appeared on Vogue
