Zendaya's Hairstylist Let Us in on How She Created This Epic Braided Ponytail
As Fashionista's Beauty Director Steph recently put it in our team Slack chat, Zendaya is the kind of star who seems to have been meticulously created in a lab with the sole intention of slaying press tours and never missing an opportunity to serve a look. Along with the help of image architect and stylist Law Roach, she is the master of embracing a film's theme and translating it sartorially, time and time again, to top-notch red carpet ensembles.
Of course, the magic of the Zendaya-and-Roach doesn't stop with the fashion: The duo also works closely with hair and makeup artists to execute stunning beauty moments. The latest example? At the London premiere of "Challengers" on Wednesday — for which the actor donned truly stellar custom Thom Browne — Zendaya swapped out her recent series of bobs and lobs for a bow-adorned, hip-length braided ponytail.
Photo: Neil Mockford/Filmmagic
"The inspiration [for the look] was sporty, chic and rich," hairstylist Ursula Stephen, who created the look, tells Fashionista. "When Law showed us the dress, I knew this would work!"
The whole process took about two hours, per Stephen. She began with clean, damp hair, and then raked a quarter-sized dollop of SexyHair Style Hard Up Hard Holding Gel from the hairline to the nape of the neck. After combing Zendaya's natural hair into a ponytail, she followed up by attaching all that length: Stephen chose The Hair Shop Wrap Ponytail extension and then extended it even more with the brand's 26-inch (!) clip-ins.
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"The wrap ponytails from The Hair Shop make life easy," says Stephen. "You just have to hook, wrap and pin to secure it — they are the absolute best."
Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage
The hairstylist then wove the length of the ponytail into a standard three-strand braid, securing it with a "tiny, invisible" elastic, she says. To finish it off, she added the white bow at the crown of the head and locked the look in place with an ample misting of SexyHair Big Spray & Stay Hairspray.
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