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Pop Culture

How 'Bridgerton' created an iconic wig that actually moves for one of its key characters

It's a work of art that even non-"Bridgerton" fans can appreciate.

@emmarigby_pro/Instagram

"This will go down in the history of costume design."

When it comes to period pieces, the look is crucial. It requires skilled craftspeople with both meticulous attention to detail and enough creative vision to bring characters to life in a way that’s captivating and believable all at the same time. One hair out of place, one wonky blouse…and suddenly the entire story feels cheapened.

Netflix’s hit series “Bridgerton” is a brilliant example of this. The creators behind the hair, makeup and costumes have pulled off one ambitious look after another—all of which nail the story’s unique blend of lavish period romance with innovative modern sensibilities. Honestly, even if period pieces aren’t your thing, you gotta marvel at what they’ve accomplished aesthetically.

One particularly talked about costume piece came from the show’s latest season: Queen Charlotte (played by Golda Resheuvel)’s jaw-dropping swan wig, which is a bona fide masterpiece that has actual moving glass swans.

If you have seen it—do not fret, dear reader. The official “Bridgerton” Instagram page posted a video starring the signature piece. Check it out below:

What kind of witchcraft is this?!…you might be thinking to yourself. But while this wig is certainly magical, it’s actually the result of smart engineering.

Emma Rigby, the magician behind Queen Charlotte’s wig, gave a little behind-the-scenes look at how it all came to be.

In a video posted to her own Instagram page, Rigby said that she initially felt “panicked” when “Bridgerton”’s hair and makeup designer Erika Okvist shared her concept. Making something that was both mechanically complex and light enough for the actor to be comfortable would be no easy feat.

But in the clip we see how with some hidden wires, a 3D printed carousel, and a hollow cage-like mold to hold everything in place, it’s actually not so impossible.

Watch, and be amazed:

Isn’t that the coolest thing ever? People were so impressed down in the comments.

“This will go down in the history of costume design. Very well done, ingenious actually,” one person wrote.

Another added, “This costume was glorious...if you guys don't get an Emmy nomination it will be a crime 🙌”

“I was left speechless by this one,” said a third.

Of course, this is just one of the many, many extravagant wigs that have graced the show. Check out the video below to see the whole scope of what these folks create, and how they create it. It’s a fun watch whether you’re a diehard "Bridgerton" fan or have never seen a single episode.

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Wellness

Her boyfriend gently shaved her head after her alopecia diagnosis. But what he did next is so much better.

Rex Chapman/Twitter

For people with alopecia, hair is a complicated business. Alopecia is an autoimmune condition that causes hair to fall out. Sometimes it's unnoticeable, but sometimes it falls out in patches, and when those patches connect, it can become quite noticeable. At that point, some people with alopecia choose to shave their heads and embrace baldness, wear wigs, or both.

A video shared by Rex Chapman on Twitter shows a woman having her head shaved by a man with the caption, "His girlfriend was struggling with her hair loss from alopecia. Get out the tissues. Humanity."

It's clear from the get go that the woman is feeling emotional, occasionally wiping her eyes as he repeatedly runs the razor over her head. And it's clear that he cares for her—you can see it in the way he tenderly holds her neck as he shaves.

But then, just as he's finishing the final touches, he turns the razor around, and oof. Seriously, you might want to grab a tissue.

Sweet, selfless solidarity. This is what love looks like.

People on Twitter chimed in with their own alopecia experiences and stories about going through chemo for cancer and losing their hair. Many can relate to the emotional experience of shaving their hair off and the realization that they could be beautiful bald. The woman in this video rocks the shaved head. The guy...well, a little hard to tell until he finishes the job, but his act of kindness and compassion is definitely beautiful.

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A magazine edited Lupita Nyong'o's hair on its cover, and she's really not having it.

#dtmh, all right?

Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o isn't happy with her latest magazine cover, and for good reason.

Appearing on the cover of Grazia, a U.K.-based fashion magazine, Nyong'o couldn't help but notice that something was missing from the original photoshoot: namely, her hair. The image as it appears in the magazine erases an entire section of Nyong'o's hair and smooths the rest of it.

Nyong'o took to her social media accounts to vent her frustration with the decision to take such creative liberties, writing on Instagram that she was "disappointed" in the outlet for trying to box her into their ideal of beautiful hair.

"Had I been consulted, I would have explained that I cannot support or condone the omission of what is my native heritage with the intention that they appreciate that there is still a very long way to go to combat the unconscious prejudice against black women's complexion, hair style and texture," she wrote.

In 2016, Vogue incorrectly attributed the inspiration for Nyong'o's hairstyle at that year's Met Gala to Audrey Hepburn. She was quick to correct them, as well.

N'yongo put together a video compilation of her real hair inspirations — Nina Simone as well as a number of traditional East and West African styles — for the event:

Hair Inspiration. Check. @vernonfrancois @voguemagazine #metball2016

A post shared by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo) on

So it shouldn't come as any surprise that when Grazia literally erased an important part of her look, she spoke up.

Again, writing on Instagram, she explains that growing up, she was conditioned to believe that "light skin and straight, silky hair were the standards of beauty." Magazine covers didn't often show women with hair like hers — and the Grazia cover demonstrates this is still the case.

"I now know that my dark skin and kinky, coily hair are beautiful too," she wrote. "Being featured on the cover of a magazine fulfills me as it is an opportunity to show other dark, kinky-haired people, and particularly our children, that they are beautiful just the way they are."

[rebelmouse-image 19530038 dam="1" original_size="750x480" caption="Nyong'o accepting an Oscar for her performance in "12 Years a Slave" in 2014. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images." expand=1]Nyong'o accepting an Oscar for her performance in "12 Years a Slave" in 2014. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Responding to the backlash, Grazia offered an apology, noting that the photographer made the alteration without their notice.

Whether that changes anything in the mind of Nyong'o or anyone else...  ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. After all, she hoped that her cover could help inspire girls growing up in a world of Euro-centric beauty standards, which apology aside, won't happen with this cover.

If there's one thing to take away from this moving forward, in her words, it's #dtmh — don't touch my hair.

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This 7-year-old recently lost her hair, but her style on Crazy Hair Day was amazing.

In January, 7-year-old Gianessa "Nessa" Wride's hair started falling out. Not just stray strands, but clumps.

It's a scary prospect for adults seven times her age, let alone a child who hasn't even mastered long division yet.  Her mother, Daniella Wride, took it hard.

"I think I took it harder than she did; I would just bawl and cry sometimes,” Wride told local Salt Lake City station KUTV.

Daniella made an appointment for her daughter at the local dermatologist, but by the time she was seen, Nessa's hair was completely gone.

Photo by iStock.

Nessa was diagnosed with alopecia, a condition that results in sudden hair loss.

It occurs when the immune system attacks hair follicles, which is where hair growth begins. The condition has no cure, but is treated with a corticosteroid or, quite simply, patience. Occasionally, the hair loss comes and goes within a year, but 10% of people will never regrow their hair, especially those who are diagnosed at a young age or have a family history of the condition.

It would be easy for most newly bald kids to feel down about Crazy Hair Day at school, but not Nessa.

When Crazy Hair Day was announced, the bubbly first-grader wanted to participate. Mother and daughter worked together to come up with the perfect solution: scrapbooking stickers!

Nessa rocked stick-on gems in cool sparkly patterns, including an owl and flowers.

"She's just so funky and vibrant and she loves everything sparkly," Daniella says.

Nessa looked amazing, and her classmates thought so too.

"When we pulled up to the drop-off lane at school, Gianessa opened the car door and you could already hear people saying things like, 'Oh that's so awesome!' 'That's so cool!,'" Daniella shares. "Gianessa got home from school and she said that all the kids kept swarming her and telling her that they loved her crazy hair, and that they wanted to be just like her."

No matter who you are or the hand you're dealt, positivity is powerful.

It's not always easy. In fact, some days it's downright hard. But a little hope and optimism can go a long away toward making a your day a little better. And maybe someone else's too.

Here's to you, Nessa! Keep shining!

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