Christine Haveford
The amount of money I spend yearly on my hair is enough to make any future husband’s eyes water. When I eventually do have kids I know that my hair bill will quadruple.
I can barely do a cornrow.
Meanwhile, Laetitia Ky is out here literally braiding hands and hearts into her hair!
The 21-year-old from Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa is taking over Instagram with her fascinatingly intricate hair sculptures.
It all started when she was five, with Ky telling Allure that it was her mom who first taught her how to braid.
“I loved it, so I’d push her to teach me more,” she says. “I’m naturally gifted with hair, but I’ve never studied it.”
Ky is an aspiring fashion designer, not a hairstylist.
But last year, she started posting her hair sculptures on Instagram and soon went viral.
Her incredible designs have seen her turn her hair into hands playing a guitar and even a ballet dancer — and that’s to name but a few.
Ky says her designs involving hands are her favorites.
Each hair sculpture takes Ky anywhere between 20 minutes and two hours.
To make her creations the talented artist uses thread, needles, fabric, wire, wool and hair extensions.
“When I imagine a new hairstyle, I try objectively to imagine what I will need,” she explains.
Ky says her inspiration comes from all around her.
“My ideas generally come spontaneously without reflection,” she adds.
With each of her hair sculptures, Ky says she hopes to be comfortable in their own skin.
“I want to encourage people to express themselves, to explore their creativity, to not be afraid to be who they are,” she says.
“I want to show that being different is beautiful and it doesn’t only attract bad reactions.”
As far as negative comments go, Ky says she only focused on good ones because “I only want good vibes around me.”
