Rina Sawayama is heading to a Mugler dinner in Paris, and she needs a hair look for the occasion. Luckily hairstylist Jake Gallagher is on hand to give her an invisible ponytail. “I think it’s a great way to change your look completely,” Gallagher explains to Sawayama of the style. “I’m going to be sewing on blonde hair so your dark hair will be completely concealed inside it.”
Though Sawayama is still relatively new to the life of a pop star—she graduated with a degree in politics, psychology, and sociology from Cambridge in 2012—she has quickly become known for her captivating style and beauty looks. “What I like best about Rina is her creativity,” says Gallagher. “She’s always up for trying things that other artists definitely wouldn’t do.”
Their introduction came in 2015 when the pair both got their start: It was Sawayama’s first test shoot as a model and one of Gallagher’s first times hairstyling for a shoot.
As Gallagher sections Sawayama’s hair into two halves for a tight, sleek finish, they reflect on their hair experiments (and failures) of years past—from vibrant colors to uneven cuts. Now, with Sawayama’s hair secured, Gallagher braids her natural ponytail as the base for extensions which he then sews to conceal the braid entirely. “If you were to do this at home, you can actually use bobby pins or you could use wig tape,” he notes. After wrapping a strand of hair around the base of the pony and filling in sparse areas around Sawayama’s hairline with powder, the look is complete.
Sawayama says she typically fully trusts her team to perfect a style she’ll love—but does this meet her expectations? “That’s amazing,” she exclaims once Gallagher swings the blonde ponytail over her shoulder. And she has an invitation to offer: “I would love to see how you get on with this, so tag me and tag Vogue if you do recreate the hairstyle.”
Director: Nikki Petersen
Director Of Photography: Etienne Baussan
Editor: Tajah Smith
Producer: Naomi Nishi
Associate Director, Creative Development, Vogue: Billie JD Porter
Associate Producer: Courtney Walden
Production: Ordinary Lights
Cam Op and Gaffer: Adam Pelle
Audio: David Amselem
CCO: Nina Galmiche
Makeup Artist: Mona Leanne
Production Assistant: Pablo Ouinas
Filmed at: Le Bristol Paris, Oetker Collection
Portrait of Jake: Photos by Panos Damaskinidis for Infringe magazine
Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar
Production Manager: Kit Fogarty
Senior Director, Production Management: Jess Schier
Associate Talent Manager: Phoebe Feinberg
Post Production Coordinator: Andrea Farr
Post Production Supervisor: Marco Glinbizzi
Director of Content, Vogue: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Programming, Vogue: Linda Gittleson
Executive Producer: Ruhiya Nuruddin
VP, Digital Video Programming and Development,Vogue (English Language): Joe Pickard
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