Exclusive: How a Celebrity Hairstylist Created 3 of the Coolest Looks at NYFW

For a beauty lover, there's no greater high than having the opportunity to sit in the back pocket of one of the most talented and sought-after celebrity hairstylists in the industry. In addition to being a super-sweet human (I've had the privilege of meeting her), Laura Polko routinely works with an impressive roster of our favorite names—from the Hadid sisters and Priyanka Chopra to Ashley Graham and Poppy Delevingne. She collaborates with equally talented and sought-after makeup artists on the regular, and she's been responsible for some of the coolest, most screenshot-worthy beauty moments we've seen over the past few years. (Who could forget that chic French twist she styled for Poppy Delevingne earlier this year at the Critics' Choice Awards?)

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Since we're making it our mission here at WWW Beauty to bring you the most exclusive beauty intel from the most exceptional industry talent, we couldn't wait to tap Polko for behind-the-scenes photos and detailed how-tos for three of the coolest accessorized hairstyles she created during NYFW. From her exact technique to the must-have tools and products, we have the scoop from Polko, in her own words, below. Keep scrolling!

Debby Ryan

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(Image credit: Laura Polko)

Step one: To start this look, I prepped damp hair with texture spray and starting blowing out the hair with my T3 Professional Round Volume Brush 3" ($40) and my T3 Cura Luxe Hair Dryer ($229). I used the volume booster switch on the dryer and an extra touch of texture spray to ensure the look wouldn't look too polished or "done." The goal was for Debby's hair to look tousled with texture.

Step two: I blew out the hair starting in the back and went all the way up the head, using one-and-a-half-inch sections. Then, I used one of the 1.75-inch hot rollers from my T3 Volumizing Hot Rollers Luxe ($119) at the crown of the head and let cool.

Step three: Next, I created a middle part and worked my way up with the dryer on the front sides. For these front pieces, I directed my round brush and the dryer forward and diagonally to create a nice swoop of the hair around the face. I then used two of my other hot rollers and set the two front pieces to keep the volume at the front.

Step four: Once the hair was set and cooled in the rollers, I took them out and used a dry texture spray all over to give it a little more hold. Lastly, I put the headband on, about one and a half inches behind the start of Debby's part, and fluffed up the hair in the back.

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(Image credit: Laura Polko)

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Charlotte Lawrence

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(Image credit: Laura Polko)

Step one: To prep the hair, I used a little bit of smoothing serum and a leave-in conditioner. I then used a flat brush and my T3 Cura Luxe Hair Dryer ($229) and blow-dried the hair in a downward direction to keep Charlotte's ends from getting turned under or out. I wanted this look to be super smooth and straight, so I turned the Volume Booster switch on my dryer off. I directed the hair up a little bit at the top of the hair to get some volume at the root.

Step two: For a sleek and straight finish, I ran over the ends of the hair with my T3 SinglePass Luxe Flat Iron ($180) and used a light hair spray.

Step three: Next, I got out my Scünci Snap Clips ($4) and sprayed them with a bit of hair spray to ensure they didn’t slip! I placed them on both sides of the part.

Step four: To finish, I mixed a little smoothing serum and hair spray in my hands and applied to the hair for shine and hold.

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Poppy Delevingne

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(Image credit: Laura Polko)

Step one: First, prep the hair with texture spray and rough-dry using the T3 Cura Luxe Hair Dryer ($229) with the Volume Boost button on. Then, tease hair all over, directing the hair backward and away from the face.

Step two: Continue by spraying the hair all over with texture spray and then brushing it out lightly with a boar-bristle brush. I love Mason Pearson's!

Step three: Next, twist the hair in the back around two fingers before pinning it into place leaving the ends out. Add the ribbon into the hair and wrap it around the front and the base of the twist.

Step four: To finish, spritz again with texture spray!

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(Image credit: Laura Polko)

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Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.