Inspired by FKA Twigs' headphones hair? Here's some unique braid style ideas

Sometimes your social battery is at zero but you’ve got to show up because you already RSVP’d. Well, FKA Twigs had the perfect cure for overstimulation at the VMAs debuting a hairstyle that used braids to create in-built noise cancelling headphones that you can wear all evening.

Never a stranger to pushing the boat with her style, the Eusexua singer debuted a hairstyle that somehow managed to include cornrows and punk spikes separated by the facsimile of wired headphones. How very conceptual. How distinctly artistic. On a night overrun with references and reboots it really is refreshing to also see a musician who wants to carve out her own visual identity and leave her mark. Plus, there’s also a slim chance of anybody rocking up with a similar barnet. FKA Twigs then combined with bleached brows, red lips and grills.

“When we arrived a few days before the show – stylist Billy Lobos and designer Matieres Fecal, and I, Twigs shared that she was thinking about wearing headphones [to the VMAs]. She’s really into it at the moment for the promotion of the new album coming out soon. So I looked at her and said ‘why not do it made from hair?’” explains Louis Souvestre, the stylist behind some of her recent striking looks including her last two Met Gala appearances.

“I built it from scratch only using hair. It was a bit crazy because we’ve been in New York and Korea working every day. I could only work on the hair headphones at night, so I went to bed at 6am and woke up at 8am to finish them before the awards that night.”

As for hair beneath the hirsute headgear, Souvestre went for a mix of twists and spikes. “We don’t really see twists around anywhere so I really wanted to give it a 90s rave feeling and it looks super cute with short hair. We did spikes at the back for a more techno vibe and a bit more aggressive so it’s not just soft which sometimes short hair can be.”

While some might be scared of donning the more extreme looks to the supermarket or reception desk at a middle England office it's also always inspiring to look at beauty through a lens of artistic expression. The 37-year-old singer joins the ranks of Doechii, Cleo Sol and Solange, Gabrielle Union, and far more who have mastered using braids as a way to maximise the creativity of their looks at public events or in their art. There are elements of sculptural or patterned plaits that can certainly help you push the boundaries of your own style for the next special occasion.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration on how to break the mould with braids or you’re looking for a stylist who can help you create a look not many others have for cocktail parties, weddings and beyond, we’ve rounded up some Instagram accounts that will have you covered:

When Cleo Sol took to the stage at All Points East in the heatwave she had cornrows and swirls embellished that fit the otherworldly setting of her stage performance crafted by this London-based braider who goes by slayedbymayla. With a penchant for patterns and braided french rolls, these looks could easily be donned to a wedding or a birthday party.

Based in Nigeria, Joke Lawal has provided glam for Afrobeats videos by Davido and Omah Lay, London-based fashion label Kai Collective and the cover of Native mag, the leading youth culture magazine of Lagos. For a fresh take on tied-up braid looks, she’s got you covered for inspiration that you can apply to a party season look if you and your hairstylist are up for a challenge.

South London-based hair sculpture and wig artist, Faith-Melody Ramautar, has been building ornate sculptures as she believes “our hair is our crown”, many of her regal looks tower into the sky including jewels, fabric and even an electric motor for looks that will send you spinning. The 25-year-old amassed 24.7k followers by posting her creations which have featured in Crack magazine, in sponsored partnerships with Urban Outfitters. Mostly her work is not for your every day pop-to-the-shop looks, she aims to highlight the beauty of Black hair and the expand the imagination of what styles you can experiment with.

Having styled delicate up-dos for the likes of Tems and Tolly T from the receipts, London-based Tess, 24, a self-described “creative hair atelier” is adept at show stopping styles that remixes of historical looks that blend history and innovation. Her favourite source of inspiration are sculptural African threading styles from the 60s. “To me, those styles show how hair can go beyond beauty and become wearable art! That’s the level of creativity I’m into.”

Featured in Vogue Scandinavia and also assisting on fashion week hair alongside Jawara for Grace Wales Bonner and Louis Vuitton, this Paris-based stylist has a knack for building structures from braids, beads, and hoops that range from playful to elegant.

From your everyday boho to editorial-worthy designs, this page bridges the gap between styles you’ll revisit frequently that feel slightly more elevated than a bog-standard box braid, a remix on the protective bantu knot, and dream looks you might whip out for a special occasion or add to a moodboard if you’re a creative who needs eye-catching looks on file.