This jack of all trades has touched the crowns of so many of our fave SA celebs, we wanted to know more about the man behind Melford Divas Hair. 
Who is Melford (Tell us about yourself and your history as a hairstylist)? Melford is a passionate creative artist who specialises as a beautician; initially I started off mainly as a hairstylist with a small hair salon operating in the outskirt townships of Johannesburg. I have now grown to branch out into other categories of beauty including advanced/new age make-up techniques and custom-made wigs as well as avant-garde make-up for television. What has been the highlight of your career? Seeing my business grow from a small enterprise to a large organisation with 20 staff members based in two large beauty parlours located in Newtown and Alberton. I am also an in-house hair and make-up specialist at one of South Africa’s largest media houses for two consecutive years doing hair & make-up for their celebrity cover stories and fashion spreads. How do you keep setting trends? I try to keep up to speed with what is happening in the market and the industry on the international pedestal and what the South African consumer is receptive and reluctant to; I then conceptualise customised trends that’ll suit my customers’ needs. I also buy hair and beauty magazines and watch a lot of fashion and beauty lifestyle oriented television shows. How long have you been in the industry? In total, 10 years, and about 5 as an entrepreneur in the hair and beauty business. Who inspires you and your craft? Definitely my legion of clients. I’m inspired by a variety and versatility of their individual needs as well as mainstream celebrities I have worked with; who have in turn worked with other hairstylists and I would learn a thing or two from them as much as I also teach them something in the process. Some of the familiar faces I have worked with that have garnered so much confidence in skills include Connie Ferguson, Pearl Thusi and Fifi Cooper to name but a few.
See some of Melford's work below:
