Creative Class: Why Susan Oludele Is Called The Hair Magician

Source: iOne Digital / Susan Oludele / David Oludele

Name: Susan Oludele

Occupation: Hair stylist

Location: New York

How We Know Her: The handiwork of the Brooklyn-bred “hair magician” has crowned some of our favorite celebs, including Justine Skye, Alek Wek and Beyonce.

Why We Chose Her: Thanks to Susy, the masses are getting the message: braids aren’t just a trend. They are glamorous, ours and here to stay.

What’s Next: Susy is truly booked and busy. She’s running a salon, traveling with clients and  promoting her book, Lady: A Celebration of Women (vol1).

IG: @hairbysusy

For box braids, Senegalese and Marley twists, faux locs and crochet realness, women flock to Hair by Susy in Brooklyn’s East New York nabe. Susy, the Nigerian-American “hair magician” in charge of crush worthy protective-style brilliance, draws inspo from her Yoruba culture to create intricate and colorful designs.

You’ve seen her artistry on everyone from Solange to Zoë Kravitz to Justine Skye. Remember Solange’s Surface magazine cover with the 500-plus red beads? Yup, that was Susy’s handiwork. She even crafted Beyoncé’s side-sweeping cornrows—now famously known as lemonade braids. Not bad for a girl who took up braiding her hair after her mother stopped doing it.

Most young women would’ve been happy with a cute, curly puff or baby hair and afros or even textured clip-ins. But Susy knew her gifted hands could do more, especially when she’d spy a style online and then put her remix on it. Friends and neighbors were willing participants. Last year, the woman whose Tumblr posts would go viral, decided it was time for a book that celebrated women via “stories, quotes, hair and fashion.”

If you follow Susy’s colorful and fashion forward Instagram posts, you understand why she married hair and fashion in her book. She’s all about statement hair and Afro chic. Her book, Lady: A Celebration of Women (vol1), beautifully pays homage to the folks who work behind the scenes in the industry. In the future, folks here and in Susy’s native Nigeria may be able to learn from this master teacher at her hair braiding schools.

On social: IG @africancreature, @hairbysusy; Twitter @africancreature