Celebrities of All Kinds Trust Lacy Redway With Their Hair—And That’s Inexcusably Rare

To witness Lacy Redway at work is to witness undeniable talent. Her hands effortlessly sculpt pearl-studded updos, modern victory rolls, billowy curls, and cascading box braids. You've seen her influence in the pages of magazines and on the red carpet, where she works with A-listers including Tessa Thompson, Lucy Boynton, and Lupita Nyong'o. She can do, it seems, anything. And it is important to remember the scope of her abilities because in 2019, in an industry where inclusivity and diversity have become buzzwords, the same can't be said for other artists of her caliber.

To call the 32-year-old New Jersey–based (but often bicoastal) Redway "the stylist everyone wants" is accurate. But it doesn't quite capture the full extent of her power. High-fashion hair—a scene she now navigates with command—has traditionally been a boys' club of big names, with men still keying many of the major shows at New York Fashion Week. "It's still hard for women to be given those opportunities, and that's something I take very seriously in my kind of activism—if you will—within this industry," she says, citing Odile Gilbert as one of the few female stylists to pave the way. "When I started out, it was only her at that level."

Now things are gradually changing, but Redway is well aware that progress can occur only when respected figures are willing to step forward and push back. "I've decided that speaking out and speaking up is an unpopular voice because it makes people uncomfortable," she acknowledges. "But I think it's time for us to get uncomfortable and have a real conversation about what's happening and why women are not getting the same opportunities that men are getting in this industry. I know personally that I can do anything to anybody's hair."

To arrive at that level, she got her on-set start assisting for a hair package company. But she had already begun putting her gifts into practice long before that. "I was always the girl who did hair in school," she recalls. "It was just something that I naturally knew how to do." When her family emigrated from Jamaica, she made extra money working in salons throughout high school and college. At the time she thought about becoming a publicist, not yet realizing that styling hair could give her access to the fashion world.

Once she began assisting on shoots, she realized she had found her calling. "That was my aha moment," she says. "I just loved being a part of that process. I knew I wanted more for myself." From there, she hired a makeup artist and a photographer for her first shoot, recruiting her cousin as the model. In a pre-Instagram era, she already understood how the internet could help her make a name for herself. She simultaneously created platforms on MySpace, Model Mayhem (a site primarily for beauty creatives just starting out), and Black Hair Media (which she credits for her discovery of lace fronts). Soon women were traveling from all over the world, asking her to do their extensions.

Her career would only continue skyrocketing from this point. Redway made the decision to get her beauty school license and learn proper techniques while also assisting backstage (and clocking three hours of sleep a night). She learned from the editorial greats, doing stints for legendary stylists like Guido Palau, Eugene Souleiman, and the aforementioned Gilbert. "What afforded me the opportunity to assist so many people was because I knew how to specialize in things that a lot of the assistants at the time didn't know how to do, like braids and textured hair," she says. "The first time I did a show with Guido, I didn't realize my braiding skill was different from anyone else's. I grew a crowd around me while I was braiding on one of the shows. That's when I realized I had something. That was a success for me."

Her backstage draw is due to her skills, but it also reveals the continuous and inexcusable lack of education on textured hair. In 2016, Naomi Campbell noted that little had changed from her younger days of being disappointed by stylists who were unprepared to work with black models. More recently models Olivia Anakwe and Londone Myers also shared videos of their experiences being blatantly overlooked backstage because of their natural texture. This is a pattern Redway has encountered since her earliest days backstage, when she made relationships with models like Jourdan Dunn, who implicitly trust her to this day.

"They knew if they sat in my chair, their hair would be done correctly," Redway says. That's unfortunately a rarity even now; many hairstylists remain willfully ignorant about the different rules that apply to doing textured hair that don't apply to doing 2A or 2C hair types. "There are still huge hairstylists who work in the business who refuse to learn the techniques," she says. "They'll take the job, hire an assistant to come in, and then they'll put their name on it. It's so wild that the industry still supports this behavior. As a hairstylist, I don't think you can truly consider yourself the best unless you can really cater to everyone."

While catering to everyone is still seen as an exception instead of the norm, Redway is adamant that these huge gaps in education should no longer be tolerated. Her social media celebrates hair of all textures, and she frequently voices her desire to see more representation behind the scenes and at the decision table—ensuring there are enough people in a room to "understand what something is supposed to look like and when something looks bad." It's an opinion she wasn't always comfortable sharing in spaces that privilege others, but one she knows is needed now more than ever.

"As a woman of color, historically we've been given a certain title, where you could come across as the 'angry black girl,' the difficult one, or a diva," Redway says. "These are words that are constantly given to us when we are in a position of using our voice. A lot of us shy away from doing so because we don't want to become that girl, especially when we occupy white spaces. I think I've gotten more comfortable with speaking up for things that are not correct. Continually I'm using my voice more and challenging people to do the right thing. I had to really sit down with myself and decide that if I really want to see change, I can't be complaining in the background. You have to be a part of change, and that means you might damage a few relationships. But guess what? You don't need to work with those people anyway."

This philosophy has worked in her favor; she speaks fondly of friends like editor, author, and TV host Elaine Welteroth and actress Tessa Thompson, who have used their positions to go to bat for her, ensuring the beauty industry continues to change for the better. And it's an opportunity she doesn't take for granted. "I'm so grateful to have the type of clients I have, like Tessa and [actress] Zazie Beetz, who wear natural textures on the carpet and are willing to experiment," she says. "It allows me to help change the face of red-carpet hair forever. You're seeing all types of things on textured hair, on that platform."

By the world's definition, Redway has achieved success. To her, though, it's just the beginning. "In my career I don't allow money to be the deciding factor on the things that I do—although I would like to have money because it allows me to help out people that need help," she says. "It's not what I need to feel successful." Success on her terms means seeing other women like Jen Atkin, Rita Hazan, and Kristin Ess achieve and shatter their goals—supporting them through their wins as they have supported her. "It's exciting times, and it's still harder, I feel, for women of color specifically," she says. "In this country we are still kind of the most undervalued and underappreciated people. I'm excited to now be changing the narrative for people who look like me and can identify with my struggles. Hopefully, that will continue to open doors for other women and people of color who come after me."

In 2019 she's ready to see more women of color getting the opportunities they deserve, knowing she's helped create the space to see them shine. "I like to see other people win because it just makes me realize we're making strides," she says. "Success is having the freedom to use your voice and to challenge people to make change."

Judging by her definition, she's made it.

Sarah Wu is a writer in Berlin. Follow her on Instagram @say.wu.

This year has made one thing clear: Women are showing up, stepping up, and taking what they deserve. From politics to pop culture, women aren't just leveling the playing field—they're owning it. As we ramp up to our annual Women of the Year Summit, we will be highlighting women across industries who do the work every day. Whether it's the CEO of a multinational retail corporation, a James Beard Award–winning chef, or the World Cup champions, here are the women you need to know right now. We've already celebrated the women in sports. Up now: 12 women who are making their mark in the world of beauty, where entrepreneurs, artists, influencers, and legislators are fighting to make the beauty industry—and our culture at large—a more inclusive, truly beautiful place.

See all of the Glamour Women of the Year All Year: Beauty.