GLAM ARCHITECT: ASHANTI LATION – THE VISIONARY BEHIND TEMS’ ICONIC MET GALA HAIR LOOK
The Met Gala this past Monday is still the talk around town and we’ve gotten an exclusive inside look at Tems’ beautiful look. When Nigerian superstar Tems ascended the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s iconic steps this season, all eyes were drawn to the harmonious balance between her Ozwald Boateng gown and the structural hair statement that crowned her look. Behind this seamless fusion of fashion and beauty stood celebrity hairstylist Ashanti Lation.
“The hair inspiration for this look was rooted in sleek, bold elegance just like the theme of the Met Gala.”, Lation reveals exclusively to us. “I created a custom hairpiece using leftover fabric from the dress, so I intentionally kept the hairstyle clean and structured to let the piece shine. The balance between simplicity and statement was key”.
via Getty Images
DECONSTRUCTING TEMS’ TIMELESS SLEEK MET GLAM
What appears effortless on the red carpet requires meticulous planning and precision execution. Lation’s process began with creating a pristine foundation. “First I started with a clean canvas.”, she explains, detailing how she silk pressed Tems’ natural texture to achieve the perfect smooth base for the statement style. From there, technique and vision converged as Lation molded the hair into a sleek ponytail, keeping the base clean and precise. This foundational structure served as the architectural support for the dramatic elements to follow.
via Kayla Perez
THE STATEMENT
The true engineering feat came in the execution of the extended elements. “I added extensions to the back to create elongated twin braids, giving the look that bold finish.”, Lation shares. These structural braids created linear drama that complemented the gown’s silhouette without competing with it. For face-framing detail, Lation balanced the severe sleekness with two face framing curls, styled to perfection for a soft yet structured detail. This thoughtful contrast between rigidity and softness exemplifies Lation’s nuanced understanding of balance.
via bettencourt
HAIR ART
What elevated this beautiful clean cut look from expertly executed to truly innovative was Lation’s collaboration with Tems’ fashion narrative. Lation custom-crafted a dramatic hair bow using excess fabric from Tems’ Ozwald Boateng dress, creating a physical connection between the garment and the complete beauty look. This zero-waste approach to red carpet styling not only demonstrates sustainability consciousness but represents the pinnacle of couture hair artistry.
via bettencourt
BEHIND THE VISIONARY
Celebrity hairstylist Ashanti Lation has built her reputation on architectural precision and understanding how hair design contributes to a complete fashion narrative. Her work with Tems showcases why she’s become the sought-after architect behind many of music’s most memorable beauty moments.
As celebrities and their teams increasingly seek integrated creative visions that unite fashion and beauty elements, visionaries like Lation demonstrate that hair artistry can transcend traditional styling to become an essential component of couture presentation. For Tems’ Met moment, this synergy between dress and hair created a cohesive statement that will stand as one of the gala’s most architecturally considered beauty moments.
via bettencourt
TEAM CREDITS:
Writer: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Hair Stylist: Ashanti Lation (@viphair_ashanti)
Makeup Artist: Kayla Perez (@kaylaaperez_)
Wardrobe: Ozwald Boateng (@ozwald_boateng)
Wardrobe Stylist: Dunsin Wright (@dunsinwright)
Public Relations: Talks Brand Group (@talksbrandgroup)
