One of the biggest buzzes on the Critics Choice Awards red carpet last Sunday wasn’t generated by an outfit, but by 25-year-old actress Odessa A’zion confessing that her hair at the “Marty Supreme” premiere in Los Angeles was a wig.
Ms. A’zion’s revelation, in an interview with Deadline Hollywood, made headlines like Vogue and The Cut, in part for the way it lifted the lid on a practice that has long shaped red carpet beauty but is rarely discussed publicly.
It’s a familiar reality for wig makers like Helena Jhong, 55, who hasn’t created styles for Ms. A’zion but has been a source of wigs and extensions for other celebrities: Sydney Sweeney and Greta Lee among them.
Ms. Jhong, owner of Helena Collection Wigs in Midtown Manhattan, is a 33-year veteran of the business. She said in an interview that many people found her through word of mouth and that her longtime clients include Chris Appleton, a hairstylist who has worked with Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande.
Her custom wigs range from $2,500 to $15,000, prices comparable to those charged by other high-demand manufacturers. Product costs depend on factors such as length, labor, and whether the hair used is natural or synthetic.
Ms Jhong, who has six employees, said it can usually take up to two weeks to create a custom wig. But requests from Hollywood’s elite often come at the last minute, she added.
Although she has made widely publicized wigs, Ms. Jhong’s name is not always credited by hairstylists or their celebrity clients. She remembers once receiving a call from a Hollywood agent asking her to delete an Instagram post she had shared featuring their client. The reluctance of some to talk about wigs, she explained, is largely because the accessories, by design, are meant to go unnoticed.
Ms. Jhong’s career path was charted by her father, who immigrated to the United States from South Korea in the 1970s and later started a business selling wigs and hair extensions wholesale. She joined the family business after studying accounting at the State University of New York at Albany.
While working for her father, she says, she began experimenting with making wigs in her spare time. Seeing her early designs showing promise, he rented a storefront where she could make custom wigs for customers, she added. A few years later, she moved the business to its current location.
Ms Jhong, who describes herself as an introvert, initially found engaging with customers intimidating. “This industry is not just the know-how of the product itself, it’s also this ability to deal with people, to understand what their needs are,” she said.
One of the pillars of his business is making wigs for people who have lost their hair due to health problems. Some came to her to gain new self-esteem, she said, and others for a confidence boost. Over time, she came to view client consultations as therapy sessions.
“If they don’t have confidence and don’t like the way they look, then it’s my job to help them feel better about themselves,” she said.
