15 July 2002 By TALIA BUFORD, Scripps Howard News Service, Zigzags, circles, intricate patterns. No, we're not talking about abstract art, but about one of the latest waves in hairstyling - designer cornrows that are nothing short of artwork.
"Braiding is like drawing, but you do it with a comb," said Temeka Williams, hairstylist at LaVogue Salon in Memphis, Tenn.
"It's almost an accessory; when you get dressed up, you get your hair braided a different way to go with what you are wearing," said Gary Williams, who gets his hair braided every 4 or 5 days.
The latest trend started where most fashion trends begin: with celebrities. Rapper Da Brat was one of the first to sport elaborate braids, which she adorned with colorful beads. Allen Iverson shook up the NBA with his ever-changing braided tresses. Rappers Ludacris and Bow Wow wear braids as a way to keep their long locks in line. And one would hardly recognize singer Alicia Keys without her signature cornrows.
While some people look to the stars for inspiration, most forego flamboyant designs in favor of simpler styles.
"I like Alicia Keys's braids because they look good with the beads and designs on the side," said Tyra Moss, whose sister, Tara, does her braids. Moss wears her braids in a simple cornrowed style with a zigzag center part.
Creating fancy braid patterns falls to stylists, who may or may not be professional hairdressers.
"People see something they liked on TV and say to me, 'Did you see so-and-so's hair last night? I want my hair like that,' " said Temeka Williams.
Gary Williams (no relation to Temeka) has his 17-year-old niece braid his hair. "I just sit down and tell her to do something and she'll come up with something different on the spot," he said.
Even when customers know what they want, it's not as easy for the stylist to duplicate every twist and part.
"You get to glance at a style for a few seconds on TV, then when you start the style, as you do it, it looks similar, but not exact," said Temeka Williams.
"You just think of something and hope that it comes together at the end," she said. "Half the time, I don't know what it will look like until I'm through. I just start with the guidelines and go from there."
Diena Diallo, stylist and owner of World of Braids in Memphis, says she has no particular designs of the styles she always does. Instead, she adapts the style to fit each client.
"If they have an idea, I'll try to give them (a variation of) the style that will go with their face and their hair type," said Diallo. "I advise them to get the right style to keep the hair healthy and pretty.".
When constructing these styles, the designs come from creative parting, not the actual braiding. "If I want the hair to go a certain way, I have to part it so that it will go the way I want it to go," said Temeka Williams.
Another popular style, fishbone, or so-called Iverson braids (because the Philadelphia 76er regularly wears this style), features a series of tiny braids cornrowed tightly to the scalp with the ends coming together to form a large French braid.
"I keep trying to get fish bones; I think they look really cute with weave (hair woven into her own), but my sister won't do them because they take too long," said Moss.
Getting your hair braided too tightly can damage the strands and cancel out the beneficial effects that braiding can have.
"If you wear your hair in braids for a long period of time and keep them up, your hair will grow and thicken," said Temeka Williams. "(But) when you pull the hair too tight, you are basically pulling the hair out of the roots."
Braids also give the wearer a break from daily hairstyling.
"No one has time for themselves," said Diallo. "Braiding is good for busy women because you can rest from three weeks to two months without doing your hair."
The extra time she saves in the morning is what Moss loves about her cornrowed style. "I don't have to worry with my hair. I can just get up and go."
Click Here For More News
