Yesterday, rapper, singer, accomplished flutist, and current Cut cover star Lizzo shared her new album cover for the forthcoming Cuz I Love You (which has an official drop date of April 19, mark your calendars). It is a beautiful, glowy work of art.
It is also very naked. She’s not wearing anything, save for a 42-inch wig that was selected and styled by hairstylist Kendall Dorsey. “The shoot was really about her exposing herself as a woman and just being fearless, free, and confident,” he told the Cut. “We landed on creating something that would make her feel like she still had something on, so the hair eventually became the garment.”
Long hair can been seen as something to hide behind, but Dorsey believes these days, it’s less about blending in and more about building yourself up. “To me, long hair is a glamorous thing that is so powerful. Women are in power now — you can be big and bold; you don’t have to shrink, and I think wearing long hair is an extension of that. It can make a woman feel so strong, confident, and beautiful.”
To create Lizzo’s glossy look, Dorsey shampooed and conditioned the wig with Evolis products the night before the shoot (“this gives it that beautiful, soft, aerated feel the next day”). He dried it with a Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer on the cool shot setting to keep the hair sleek and ensure it would lay flat against the head. He then went over sections with a flat iron to emphasize the gleam.
If you enjoyed reading a wig-styling tutorial as much as I did writing one, we’re in luck. “The wig in particular is one of the most powerful accessories right now,” said Dorsey. “It used to be a big secret, but thanks to the younger generation of stylists and social media, now there’s a lane for it. It’s not a secret anymore. You can take a wig off at 12 noon, and put on something shorter for dinner. You can be whoever you want to be.”
And with that affirmation in hand, go forth and maybe find yourself some fake hair.