Lacy Redway: Meet The Celebrity Hair Care Trailblazer That Continues to Elevate and Pave The Way
Pivotal Moments in Redway’s Career and Plans for the Future
Redway started her hair stylist journey in junior high school. By the time she graduated from cosmetology school, she had already created a name for herself due to her growing and successful social media platforms. Upon the multitude of successes that she has experienced, a pivotal moment for her in her career was entering motherhood. It helped enrich her career and life balance and inspired her work in several ways. “Being pregnant with my son was a pivotal moment for me in my career. It forced me to make career decisions that helped shape the artist you know today. Becoming a mom forced me to work smarter, not harder, and make smarter career decisions that had a more significant impact. The journey has been so beautiful because I’m learning so much through the experiences.” In an industry where women of color are often overlooked, Redway has broken through by finding her voice and standing firm in it. While talking about meaningful moments in her journey, Redway says.“ Another pivotal moment in my career has been learning to allow my voice and point of view to become louder over anyone else’s opinions about how I do what I do. Becoming more self-aware has taught me to trust myself and my instinct, which makes for a more precise point of view and how I collaborate and navigate the industry.”
On Diversity and Natural Hair
While finding her voice and standing firm in it as a Woman Of Color, Lacy Redway has helped to pave a way for other black women and women of color by showing industry leaders the importance of giving diverse individuals a seat at the table. “As a WOC, my entire career has felt like it’s been a constant audition process. We have had to prove ourselves constantly, and I feel like we have had to train the industry how to broaden their point of view and how narrow they saw our ability to be. This thinking means you may have to go against the grain and think outside of how the majority thinks or operates to overcome barriers and see change.” One of the ways that Redway has helped to diversify the industry is by celebrating natural hair in high fashion. She is known for implementing a lot of natural hairstyles and protective styles when designing looks for high-fashion environments and to be seen in mainstream media. ”I love seeing natural textures being styled and celebrated throughout all platforms. I love seeing natural hair in its truest form on the runway and in street-style photos of people with their style. Having the correct techniques and hair products is vital to celebrate natural textures across all platforms truly. Dove Amplified Textures Super Slip Detangling Conditioner is an excellent foundation for ensuring your fro will look good, all while feeling good because you are nourishing it.”
Redway’s Favorite Personal Natural Hair Styling Tips
While on the topic of natural hair, Redway shared valuable insight for naturalistas based on her experiences with managing natural hair on herself and clients: moisturization is the key! “Moisturizing is the best tip I can give to improve your hair health. Give your hair monthly mask treatments. Use Dove Amplified Textures Moisture Spa Recovery Mask, which strengthens your hair shaft from within and reduces breakage. It will leave your hair strong, shiny, and healthier.” On long work days, Redway personally loves to keep a deep conditioner such as Dove’s Amplified Textures Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner with her while on the go. She also never leaves without a small-travel size hairspray for unwanted flyaways that might be experienced throughout the day. While work seasons become extremely busy or while consistently traveling for work, Redway likes to take a break from the daily bustle of styling her own hair with protective hairstyles. “Braids are my go-to protective style. It is a great way to protect my hair when traveling and a great hairstyle to give your hair a break from heat styling. Use Dove Hair Therapy 7-in-1 Miracle Mist on top of your braids to nourish them without weighing them down. It will help strengthen your hair while being protected, help to manage frizz, and add shine.”
To Inspire and to Be Inspired
Although Redway is a top hairstylist dominating the celebrity haircare space, she continuously allows herself to grow by learning from and being inspired by many other stylists in the industry. To truly evolve and grow with the times and modern trends, learning never stops! “I’ve been inspired by those who have helped pave the way for me. In the hair industry, I’ve always admired some of the brilliant people I’ve trained under, like Odile Gilbert, Guido Palau, and Eugene Souleiman, as well as artists whose work has culturally inspired me and, have been instrumental in some of the most iconic hairstyles we know today like Kim Kimble, Chuckie Amos, Dionne Alexander, and Janet Zeitoun.” As Redway has been inspired by many, she continues to inspire many of the young stylists that she is helping to pave the way for in the future. Her biggest advice for young stylists who want to grow in the industry is to “Assist; it’s the best school you can attend. Tune out any negative noises that prevent you from pursuing your dreams, and follow your intuition—also, no need to look to the left or right of you. No matter how many people do what you do, no one could ever do it the exact way you do, and that is your superpower. Stay true to yourself, your beliefs, and your point of view.”
Redway On the Year Ahead
Of course, here at All Things Hair, there is no way we would interview such a remarkable and knowledgeable individual without asking about her predictions for the hair space in 2023! Redway predicts that “we will continue to see red hair and lighter tones into the new year and into award season, as well as super short pixie cuts, bouncy bobs, and bouncy disco curls varying in diameter of curls.” Redway had an exciting 2022 and ended the year beautifully with a beautiful variety of magazine covers that she styled hair for. In the year ahead, she has some exciting things coming up, including filming a TV show! “My goal for the coming year is to continue making an impact through hair.” Although her plans are extremely exciting and will keep her busy this year, Redway has expressed the importance of maintaining balance in her life. While achieving great things, the goal is to also “preserve time for self-care and alone time to recharge.” We are so excited to see what the year ahead looks like for Lacy Redway! Continue to be inspired by Lacy Redway’s Journey this year when you follow her @lacyredway. Also for more insightful interviews with stellar individuals such as Redway, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter below to be the first to know when more interviews are available.
