Personally invited to create hairstyles for Grammy Award Winning singer Ashanti’s latest UK 20th Anniversary Tour, international hair stylist Mohammed Ilmaas came up with styles that were truly show-stopping.
With four shows across four cities, Ashanti wanted four different looks. It was a task that Ilmaas was perfectly placed to undertake. Having created styles for Ashanti during her previous tour, he knew just what would suit her.
Each style involved unique bespoke hair pieces, offsetting her costumes and performance to perfection. It included an ankle-length ponytail with hoops along the braid, a sleek look complete with rhinestone accessories while yet another ponytail was filled with gold gems.
“She absolutely loved the designs,” he recalled.
Ashanti is not the first global star that has called on Mohammed’s talents.
Further confirmation of his international status came with a request from Riwayat Adnan Ansari, founder of Pakistan Fashion Week, which has presented hundreds of designers to the western market across locations ranging from Rome to Karachi and Lahore.
“I was asked to be the official hair stylist for The Lifestyle Toronto Show, a two-day extravaganza that is the extension of Pakistan Fashion Week London. I was in shock and excited by this amazing opportunity. I just couldn’t wait to get creative and create show-stopping hairstyles,” said Ilmaas.
A two-day show, based at the Fairmont Hotel in Toronto included models from both the UK and Canada. Two designs were needed each day, one for longer hair, and the other for shorter hair. Each design had to be suitable for up to 14 costumes from different designers, some of whom brought along special accessories or hair pieces to be added on.
“Day One, I created sleek braided ponytails – some low and long, some high and pinned up into artfully patterned updos.
For day two, I created a different hair look with high snatched ponytails half up and half down with voluminous curls snatched back.”
It proved to be the perfect bespoke solution, suiting every type of costume from formal to casual.
Ilmaas has truly become a hair stylist to the stars. Inspired by his sister’s love of hairstyles, Mohammed Illmaas aimed to become a published hairstylist, hairdresser, and barber from a very early age.
His work has become his passion resulting in gaining 5 awards as Best Hairstylist, being featured in magazines like Elle and Vogue, as well as building a list of celebrity designers and clientele such as Tom Zanetti, Jasmin Walia, Chloe Khan, Nimra Khan, Bilal Saeed, and Annie Khalid. He is also the first person to launch groom packages in the UK covering skincare and hair for the groom’s big day, as well as Bridal and party hairstyling.
Now he is looking to the future, exploring new ways of developing his iconic brand with several initiatives under consideration – as well as hairstyling many more top stars.
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The adventurous spirit behind the pages of British Muslim magazine. As the Editor-in-Chief, Natasha leads with a passion for exploration and a pen dipped in wanderlust. With a keen eye for halal travel experiences and an insatiable curiosity for new experiences, she brings readers along on captivating journeys to far-flung destinations. Through her vibrant storytelling, Natasha invites readers on enriching adventures, where every experience is a window into the muslim world.
