I Want to Take a Magnifying Glass to Willow Smith’s Massive, Sculptural Updos — See the Photos

ICYMI, Willow Smith is Allure’s latest cover star, and both the interview and Smith’s stunning sculptural hairstyles are not to be missed.

The musician, whose new album empathogen drops on May 3, discusses this new chapter of her career; the record sees Smith moving away from the rock sound she’s become known for and instead incorporating elements of jazz, as inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, and Sarah Vaughan. “Everyone wanted me to make another rock album. I just always do the thing that everyone thinks is a bad idea,” she explains in our interview. “People thought that doing a rock album was going to be a bad idea, and then it turned out to be a good idea, and so I just have to trust myself because you live and die by your own hand. That’s the life of an artist.”

Hairstylist Vernon François, who frequently works with Smith, created several braid-centric looks for the star, including a sky-high updo that begins with braids and evolves into a wrapped, multi-layered oversized knot at the top of Smith’s head. Teeny tiny microtwists descend from the top of said knot, flowing all the way down nearly to Smith’s waist, a gorgeous complement to the avant-garde Iris van Herpen and Issey Miyake looks.