LOS ANGELES-Rihanna’s hairdresser, Yusef Williams, talks about the pressure of styling the R&B superstar for her many shoots and public appearances.
The 30-year-old R&B superstar is the cover star of the latest issuer of British Vogue magazine and is seen wearing Prada and a statement floral headpiece.
The bold look is just the latest that Yusef Williams has created for Rihanna and although it is just the latest challenge presented to him, the 39-year-old beauty expert insists that nothing can compare to the pressure of when he first began chopping the ‘Work’ hitmaker’s locks.
Speaking to British Vogue, Yusef said ‘’It’s always challenging using other materials than hair but I love those kind of challenges. That’s what I want, you know? I love when you find those hacks to make something work like that.
‘’I think I came in right in the beginning of the fashion portion of her life, and that was a lot of pressure. On top of her being looked at as this huge inspiration it was more pressure on me to pull up, you know? And be a part of the evolution of her.’’
The ‘Love on the Brain’ singer is best known for her ever-changing hairstyles and daring pixie cut, and after working with her for a decade, Yusef felt ready to ‘’work with her’’ and their friendship has meant that it’s become easier than ever to ‘’decide’’ on hairstyles.
Yusef added: ‘’We grew and evolved together. I’d been working on fashion shows in Paris, so when I met her it was like, ‘Alright girl, let’s do it!’ I felt I had the experience and the fashion street smarts to know how to elevate her hair. It was good timing for me, to evolve as she did. Working with her is a wonderful thing.
‘’It’s actually a non-stop line of communication when it comes to inspiration. We never stop sending each other pictures and ideas throughout the week. I mean, I’m out right now and I’ve probably taken, like, six pictures of women’s hairstyles and hair colours and I’ll send them to her. It’s an ongoing conversation.
‘’I think we kind of have a little rhythm going on with each other where we don’t take too long to decide on stuff because we know each other so well.’’