All Eyes On Olandria: The Artful Sculptural Hairstyle Stealing The Spotlight On Byrdie’s Cover

Olandria Carthen is giving protective styling a high-fashion moment on the cover of Byrdie’s latest issue. The Love Island USA breakout star fronts the publication’s Main Character Issue with a beauty look that puts her braids at the centre of the conversation. Sculptural, elevated and deliberately unexpected, the hairstyle shows how familiar protective styles can become striking works of editorial art.

Created by hairstylist Ashanti Lation, the look transforms Olandria’s existing braids into a dramatic pinup with the help of wire woven into the styling. The added structure allows the braids to hold their shape and rise into an architectural silhouette, creating the impression that the hair is almost defying gravity. Rather than hiding the braids, the design makes their texture and craftsmanship the focal point.

That balance is what makes the look especially compelling. Sculptural hairstyles often rely on exaggerated shapes, intricate placement and strong silhouettes. Here, the braids provide both the material and the visual impact, while the wire gives Lation the flexibility to manipulate them into a form that feels polished but still expressive. It is a reminder that protective styling does not have to be limited to everyday practicality; it can also be experimental, glamorous and runway-ready.

Lation’s approach to the shoot extended beyond one statement style. For another look, she added loose curly extensions throughout Olandria’s braids, building fullness and movement before arranging the hair into a voluminous flip-over. The contrast between the defined braids and the softer curls brought a different kind of drama. For the final look, she pulled the hair into a low ponytail and left a delicate tendril framing Olandria’s face, allowing her features to take centre stage.

The stylist also kept hair care in view while creating the editorial looks. She used SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Frizz-Free Curl Mousse to help control and polish the sculptural style, alongside Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Edge Treatment for a neat finish around the hairline. For the softer looks, a leave-in treatment helped maintain moisture and a healthy-looking finish.

For anyone inspired by the cover, the takeaway is not necessarily to recreate the exact shape at home. It is to think more creatively about the possibilities of braids. With a skilled stylist, thoughtful preparation and a clear understanding of hair integrity, protective styles can move beyond familiar patterns and become personal statements.

The result celebrates the versatility of braids across beauty, fashion and contemporary Black style. Olandria’s Byrdie moment makes a persuasive case for treating hair as an art form: structured yet expressive, protective yet fashion-forward, and entirely capable of commanding the spotlight.

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