Bigwigs with Wigs: Celebrities and Their Hair Closets
Nicki Minaj and one of her technicolor wigs. (Photo: Getty Images)
Yesterday on her app (along with a preview on Instagram for those who don’t want to pay $2.99), Kylie Jenner gave a tour of her self-described “glam closet,” which includes an extensive collection of expensive wigs. “This is the wig I wore for VMA,” she said while lovingly stroking a brunette wig as we plebeians who don’t attend awards shows would do with a pet dog. “It’s got the cool fashionable bangs.” She also introduced the light green wig she wore for an event at the Sugar Factory, which almost got snatched off her head. “Good times,” she smirked. Jenner isn’t the only celebrity to opt for a wig collection instead of continuously bleaching and dyeing her hair, which is detrimental to hair health over time.
Kylie Jenner introducing her pet wigs. (Source: Instagram)
Other celebrities have also mentioned wig closets, though they have not been as intimately revealing as the youngest Jenner has been. In the September 2015 issue of Flaunt, cover star Beyoncé — who, as expected, did not grant an interview to the publication — filled out a word-association map. For the word “overpopulated,” she wrote, “my hair closet.” On May 15, 2014, Rihanna took a selfie with a pink bob wig and jokingly tweeted, “We raided Nicki [Minaj]’s wig closet for the summer! Bad gals just wanna have fun!” In the earlier days of her career, Minaj wore a dazzling array of candy-colored wigs that matched her candy-colored makeup. Lately, her hair look is been more subdued, with glossy block locks. Singer Sia never performs without her wig, which she wears to avoid the fame that she’s gained. Katie Holmes fooled the masses (including us for a while) at the 2015 Met Gala with her wig bob. At her most flamboyant, Lady Gaga also wore wigs on a regular basis to complement her quick-shifting avant-garde looks — in fact, she borrows from Cher’s wig closet. “I feel very supportive and blessed that Cher has been so supportive of me borrowing her wigs,” Gaga told Style.com in September 2014. “That shows the mark of a real artist.” Cher regularly tweets about cleaning and diving through the archives in her wig closet.
Being a celebrity with public appearances and changing roles on screen means that your hair is subject to constant wear and tear. Ariana Grande told Teen Vogue in 2013 that her signature high ponytail is actually fake — she damaged her hair from dyeing it too often. In October 2015, Selena Gomez revealed on YouTube that her hair is “very fake.” Two weeks ago, Jen Atkin, the hairstylist to the Kardashian family, wrote on Instagram: “Hair Extensions ARE NOT bad or something to be embarrassed by. It’s 2015. We have lash extensions, hair bleach, hair dye, and PLENTY of options for hair extensions (I’ve tagged a few). Do whatever makes YOU happy and let’s all just be grateful we have the option!” 18-year-old Jenner is not the only star with a wig closet, but she’s the first one to give us a full tour.
Related:
Why Julianna Marguiles Wears a Wig on The Good Wife
Sia Without Her Wig at Academy Awards Screening
Taraji P. Henson Takes Off Her Wig: ‘Underneath That Hair is My Soul’
