 Ursula Stephen
Delivering Styles On the Cutting Edge
When Brooklyn-born hairstylist Ursula Stephen snipped and cut pop-princess Rihanna's real hair into an asymmetrical bob for the "Umbrella" shoot, she had no idea the style would literally catapult the two of them into style book's history. Not since Jennifer Aniston's "Rachel" cut and Halle Berry's spiky flicks, have there been a hairdo so discussed and emulated across cultural lines. Labeled as the newest stylist to watch, Stephen helped Rihanna cut through the Stepford wife-like looks of today's vocalist by giving her an image she can call her own. Fashion titles took note, providing Stephen with the opportunity to style Rihanna for high-fashion photo shoots, covers for
Vibe, Elle, Teen Vogue and Seventeen.
With clients such as Michelle Williams and Keyshia Cole vying to sit in her chair for their latest singles ("We Break the Dawn" and "Heaven Sent," respectively), plus former America's Next Top Model winners Danielle Evans and Saleisha Stowers, Stephen has no intention of slowing down any time soon: she recently inked a spokesperson deal with top relaxer brand, Mizani and is working on a line of wigs. AMBERmag.com sat with Stephen to find out how she keeps the creativity flowing, what five hair products we should all have, and what to expect from her in 2009. By Alysha Reid
AMBERmag.com: Growing up where you a trendsetter?
Ursula Stephen: Yes. When it comes to my hair, and doing other people's hair, I have always been a trendsetter. [When I was working at Idalis Hair Salon in Brooklyn] I had a big clientele and became the top stylist to go to. It's always been that type of effect, even when I attended beauty school.
AMBERmag.com: That bob on Rihanna could've been a disaster. Do you consider yourself a risk taker?
US: Oh, definitely. I’m definitely, a risk-taker—even with myself. I am definitely not someone who would follow a trend. I want to do what I like, and what feels good for me.
AMBERmag.com: Did you ever imagine that your first cut for Rihanna would become such an influential trend?
US: No, no. For me, it was all in a day's work. I didn't expect anything like this to happen. So, I'm really just grateful.
AMBERmag.com: Where do you get your influences for hairstyles when you're trying to come up with something new?
US: It's so many things that I look at between A and Z. It could be old magazines, old fashion magazines, European magazines, fashion shows—it's everything. Fashion inspires me to do a lot of things for hairstyles.
AMBERmag.com: How do you pull yourself out of a styling rut?
US: When I get caught in a rut, I go to hair shows. I take a class. I do anything I can to just open up my brain again. I try to remember things I used to do, and then I re-invent them. I flip through old magazines; remember old styles then I try to tweak them and make them my own.
AMBERmag.com: What is your absolute favorite look?
US: Hmm…that's a hard question, because I'm a chameleon with my own hair. Everything is a favorite to me—I’ve had 20 inches, two inches [of hair], weaves. I've been red and blonde. I'm very experimental with my hair, and I do like to change it up. I can't choose one. I can't be biased. I just love hair.
AMBERmag.com: Do you do your own hair?
US: I do my own hair all the time. If I'm doing a short style, I'll go to the barber and have it cut, but I do my own hair. For me, I'm like an experiment. I can experiment on myself and figure things out.
AMBERmag.com: What are the top five hair products that every woman should have to maintain healthy hair?
US: I definitely think that every woman should invest in great hair care at home because at the end of the day, you are with your hair more than the hairstylist is:
(1) You should definitely have a great anti-dandruff shampoo. We as black women get dandruff.
(2) You should have a cleansing shampoo.
(3) You should also have a conditioning shampoo, which softens your hair after using products such as an anti-dandruff shampoo, which tends to dry hair out sometimes.
(4) You should also have a leave-in conditioner. Get a creamy one, because it sticks to your hair and adds muscle.
(5) Get an oil or a cream moisturizer. Those are great for our hair, because we need moisture.
AMBERmag.com: What are some upcoming trends or new hair styles to look out for?
US: It's still about short hair right now—I'm just seeing it all over the place, and I’m loving it! Hair is like fashion—it comes and goes. I see so many people changing it [short hair] up so much, so it's inspiring me to do more short hair. So for right now, I still think that it's going to be about short hair, straight through the winter.
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