Lacy Redway: The Woman Behind Laura Harrier’s Hair Moment

The celebrity hairstylist speaks exclusively with V about the behind-the-scenes magic of the look.

Laura Harrier is now gracing the cover of V‘s September issue, and if we were hard-pressed to pick at least one thing that is iconic about her cover look — that would be the superstar’s phenomenal coiffure.

Lacy Redway, a Jamaican-born celebrity hairstylist, is the wiz behind Laura’s major hair moment. Using her favorite hair products and throwing a curveball by spontaneously (and brilliantly!) incorporating Louis Vuitton shoelaces into the hairdo on set, she really made it the whole look come together in the lens of Inez and Vinoodh.

To celebrate the cover launch, we spoke with the hair aficionado about her creative process, the excitement of being back on set and more. Check out our full conversation with the renowned hair artist below:

V Magazine It would be great if we could get a better understanding of your inspiration around the hair moment that was created. Where did the idea of pigtails come from?  Can you tell us more about the process behind that and how long it took?

Lacy Redway Once discussing the concept with Inez and Vinoodh, I took my spin on our inspirational concept to make it my own interpretation. As I played, I just dreamt up the style in the moment. I typically work best this way, I am my most creative when the team trusts one another to express freely. The execution did not take much time at all — I work pretty quickly.

V Is it true that Louis Vuitton laces were incorporated into the hair look? Was this pre-planned or an on-set idea?

LR Alex White and I collaborated on this together.  We came up with this idea on set. She brilliantly had the laces in her kit and handed them to me to do as I please.

V What’s your stance on “big hair” overall?

LR I love big hair! For me, hair can be such a bold way of expressing yourself outwardly without speaking. Big hair to me represents strength.

V Tell us about your dynamic with Laura — what was it like working with her, along with Inez + Vinoodh & Alex White?

LR It was so incredible collaborating with this crew, it was exciting getting back into the studio creatively. Laura and I collaborate so well; we like to have fun in the process and trust one another’s instincts. It was a dream collaborating with Inez + Vinoodh again & Alex White, big fan of their work. I appreciated the trust everyone gave one another to experiment and create great artwork.

V What’s next for your career? Do you have any goals this year? What are they?

LR Wow! Well, part of my goal is to continue making space for more black women to exist at this level and higher in the fashion world. Coming up, I did not see many women — let alone a black woman — occupying these spaces on set. I feel blessed to be a part of the change that we needed to see. What’s next for my career? Hmm… cliche as it may sound, the sky is the limit, really! I don’t like placing limitations on my capabilities. I’m excited to explore every new version of my career and of myself as I continue to grow.

V What’s one product in your kit that you cannot be without? Why?

LR Easy! My Nexxus Comb Thru hairspray. I love using products on set that are malleable and easy to brush through as I interchange the hair looks.

V What’s your favorite hair product right now? Favorite hair trend?

LR Bed Head Superstar Queen For A Day. Right now, I like Nature Lab’s perfect shine mist oil.

My favorite hair trend right now is quarantine hair. It sounds weird but let me explain: this was the first time in years many of us gave our hair a break, allowing our hair to grow freely and/or keeping it free of chemical treatments. Most of our hair health has improved.

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