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Haute Comb

Hairstylist Nikki Nelms, aka the hair MacGyver, uses nostalgia-drenched imagery to pay homage to the women who have shaped her and elevated the beauty of our texture.
Haute Comb
Photographed by Nakeya Brown Styled by Mel Reneé
By Akili King ·

Nikki Nelms has worked on game-changing projects like styling Solange in the “Don’t Touch My Hair” video, but her interest in hair care can be traced to her ­childhood. “My Aunt Mamie was a kitchen-’tician. It’s one of the many things that shaped me,” the Florida- born stylist, who grew up working in salons, says of her third-grade start.

Here, Nelms seeks to honor the women who have inspired her. Each image is adorned with personal objects, such as her grandmother’s hot comb and her mother’s photo. Each is also a celebration of the beauty and breadth that is Black hair.

“Reworking the texture too much sometimes feels like conforming,” she says. “I just wanted to show it off. It’s a work of art as is.” Nelms collaborated with photographer Nakeya Brown, who is known for her own work surrounding Black hair.

While recognizing the efforts of those in the past, Nelms is also giving a nod to one of her lifetime dreams.“I used to say I wanted a hair salon called Haute Combz,” she explains. “So, here we are.”

Just one more reminder that we are forever the blueprint.

Haute Comb
Model poses against pink backdrop next to vintage pressing oil tin and micro braids tag.
Haute Comb
Nelms handmade this braided crown, adorned by vintage pins. Underneath: a pick with gold-painted teeth; and a vintage Love Touch wig tag with a Nelms-approved message.
Haute Comb
This image is an homage to Black girlhood and playfulness, thanks to model’s updo with silky curls, vintage Barbie, and hair salon coloring book.
Haute Comb
Next to a marcel iron stove: a Fashion Fair compact, a photo of Nelms’s mother, vintage bobby pins and a vintage hair dryer from Switzerland. Model wears Bottega dress and Patricia Von Muslin earrings.
Haute Comb
As Nelms puts it, “It doesn’t get any Blacker” than a vintage “It’s a Black Thang” bottle of hairspray. Model wears Sportmax dress, Patricia Von Muslin earrings.
Haute Comb
Model poses with blue hair piece, Dudley’s Cosmetology School VHS tape, Nelms’s grandmother’s hot comb and Brown’s vintage hair book. Model wears Marni dress, Dinosaur Designs earrings.
Haute Comb
A wig from Naomi Sims’s collection, alongside a vintage curling iron and Nelms’s aunt’s “Burn You Baby” figurine.

Credits:

Photographed by Nakeya Brown

Styled by Mel Reneé

Model: Anu Oloyede

Hair: Nikki Nelms at The Only Agency

Makeup: Raisa Flowers using MAC Cosmetics at EDMA Agency

Nails: Angie Aguirre using BTArtbox at From Kreatives

Photography Assistants: Adriel Michelle Barnett & Shan Wallace

Digital Technician: William Wood

Fashion Assistant: Adrianna Espinal

Hair Assistants: Ikeyia Powell & Na’Jeen Pierce

Post Production: Pancake Post

Location: Shio Studio

Production by The Morrison Group