Arlene Martin could never have guessed when she was growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, that she would in the future grow to be probably the most sought-after hair stylists in the style and wonder world and work behind the scenes on probably the most anticipated shows on the Starz network, P-Valley.

“I feel that the artistry of hair actually selected me. After I really give it some thought, I feel prefer it was a calling at a really early age,” Martin shares with ESSENCE exclusively. “I actually have all the time been a creative person, so it wasn’t a surprise that my destiny could be intertwined with the artistry of hair.”

The founding father of Arlene Martin Hair & Arlene Martin Global is a force within the entertainment industry, as seen by her recent triumphs as a Department Head of Hair for “The Daring Type Season 5” and the critically acclaimed TV series “P-Valley” season 2.

Martin is accustomed to the characters that work within the Mississippi Delta strip club. She was a key hairstylist for Season 1 of the show, during which she designed and styled hair for Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan) and Patrice Woodbine (Harriet D. Foy).

Martin tells us that the good Creator and Showrunner, Katori Hall, presented her with the chance to be the Department Head of Hair for P-Valley Season 2. “I’m ceaselessly grateful that she saw my outside the bounds of conventional creativity and my artistic talent in hair design,” she tells us. 

While the work may sound fun and glamorous, it involves creating custom-colored styles with unique cuts almost each day. “It truly takes a team, and I can truthfully say that I actually have one of the best team that offers 150% every single day to make sure that all of the wigs are created to perfection,” she tells us. With the support of her team, including Jason Yancey (barber), Latoya Kelley (hairstylist), Levura Geuka, Kasi York, and Demetress Valentine, they’ve created greater than 400 wigs for the characters of the show. “Hats off to a incredible core hair team!” she says with great enthusiasm.

Once we asked Martin what inspired the hair stories that surround each character, she summed it up with one word: “culture.”

“Aside from the storytelling, the show is the visual aesthetic. The feel of our hair and the colour and elegance communicate a lot in regards to the character and where they’re in life,” Martin explains. “This season reflects life in the course of the pandemic, and there are occasions if you see the characters with ”pandemic hair,” untamed cornrows, and afros contrast with glamorous locs, long tresses, and elaborate wigs. As well as, there’s a theme of fairytales and methods to add a recent twist to the classics like Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Big Bad Wolf, to call a couple of.”

Uncle Cliff is considered one of the characters who is thought for his or her complex hairstyles, and we were curious as to how she and her team got here up with the ideas for her wigs. “When creating a method, I attempt to see all and sundry/character for who they really are,” she explains. “Katori Hall gives me the vision and direction, and I might turn her vision right into a creative master design.” 

Martin teases that we may expect the unexpected from Uncle Clifford’s hair this season, which incorporates a wig inspired by Martin’s African ancestors, on whose shoulders she dares to face. “We are going to dive into more of the roots of who she is as an individual, which allows access to the era of the classic black hair shows and leans into our heritage and African ancestry.”

Overall, Martin wants people to see the waves, the textures, and the degrees of intricacy that’s Black hair. “The show was a passion project for me, and it was an honor to be chosen to steer in such an ideal production, so I hope that our viewers can see the exertions that went into every wig we touched and the reflection of who they are surely.”