Esperanza Spalding on Her Curls, Glamour

ESPERANZA 0516-GL-WELL40 CurlsTo say we’re obsessed with singer Like Esperanza Spalding’s Hers ! hair would be an understatement. Her #1 rule for making natural curls look great? Let them do their thing! By Simone Kitchens Photographs by Dusan Reljin Fashion editor: Jessica Sailer Van Lith Do a Big, Brushed-Out Look Spalding, who loves wearing her hair in a fluffy Afro, jumped in and brushed out her own air- dried curls (gently, working from tips to roots). Hairstylist Ben Skervin then created a simple side part, which lent a graphic element to the soft texture. A spritz of gloss spray (try Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine, $28, moroccanoil .com) adds a healthy shine. Stella McCartney polo. 212 glamour.com Mateo earrings. ESPERANZA 0516-GL-WELL41 Do a Soft, Sculptural Shape “It’s a bit romantic; there’s a softness around the face,” Skervin says of this pulled-back style. First, add a tiny drop of oil (try Garnier Fructis Marvelous Oil Frizz Defy, $6, at drugstores) to subtly define air- dried strands. Next, pull hair back into a low- slung half pony. “Don’t pull the ends all the way through—let the back hang down,” he says. Gucci shirt. Balenciaga earrings. Curls Like Hers! glamour.com 213 ESPERANZA 0516-GL-WELL42 speranza Spalding is our I shaved my hair to a quarter inch of my head. As it grew into an current music icon and hair crush. We’ve watched this classically Afro, I liked that look. And it’s pretty much been growing out like trained jazz singer and bassist rocking those curls everywhere that ever since. I like to let it be completely wild; it forces me to from the Grammy Awards to the White House—and her embrace face people not knowing how I’m being seen. I don’t know what it’s of her hair’s natural texture is the ultimate beauty inspiration. doing and I just have to be cool with that—especially if I’m around “I let my curls do their thing—when my hair is wild, that’s when somebody new. I’m like, All right, let’s go. This is it, unfiltered.” Eit’s doing its best thing,” says Spalding, 31. She especially likes it big and brushed out: “I feel I can pick up more inspiration—you know, like my antennas are up.” With her fifth album, Emily’s Walk us through your styling routine. D+Evolution, out this spring, the Portland, Oregon, native put “Once I’ve washed it, I work in the conditioner. I like a sulfate-free down her bass to talk beauty and self-esteem. one from Alaffia. I get it super goopy in the shower—think jelly- f ish consistency—and I detangle my hair with my f ingers. I don’t wash out the conditioner; I just let it air-dry. When I want it in Your brushed-out Afro is your signature, Afro mode, I brush everything out with a paddle brush. Brushing but it wasn’t always. How’d you deal is my one commitment when it comes to my hair; it can take an hour, but that’s when I watch the news or call my mom. Brushing with your hair when you were young? it when it’s dry seems to help it do what I like, which is this wild, “My hair, growing up, was no fun at all. My mom never let me frazzled thing—kind of messed up.” press it or put relaxer in it; she wanted me to embrace what my hair did naturally. I was allowed to brush it and let it dr y, and then I had to get out of the house. When I was around 12, my hair was For your new album and tour, you wear really, really thick and super curly—just dense and impossible. your hair in braids. Why the departure I went through a very embarrassing couple of years there. I just wanted to get my hair out of my life, out of the way, out of people’s from your signature curls? sight, just away from everything because it was so crazy.” “Emily—which is my middle name, and what I was called growing up—is my onstage alter ego and the inspiration for this album. Her look reflects who she is and what she’s about, and So when did you start to love your curls? draws from my childhood. Her hair is different from how I usu- “At 15 I just decided to bleach it, relax it, color it—I did ever y thing. ally wear it: It’s twisted down in braids, soaking up the energy of At 17, when I left home [for Berklee College of Music in Boston], her world.” 214 glamour.com ESPERANZA 0516-GL-WELL43 Do a High Topknot Starting with brushed-out curls, Skervin twisted everything up into a very high half pony, letting the ends peek out to create a pom-pom-like effect. He teased out the shape even more with his fingers, while preserving the undone texture. “You can play around with it, bringing it more forward, more to the center, more to one side,” he says. “It’s simple but has quite a dramatic effect.” Bill Blass polo. Miu Miu skirt. Céline hoops. See Glamour Shopper for more information. Hair: Ben Skervin at Streeters; makeup: Jodie Boland at See Management; manicure: Rica Romain at LMC Worldwide. glamour.com 215 .

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