Visions of Beauty

BEAUTY ISN'T ONE-DIMENSIONAL. AHEAD, AN AMPUTEE MODEL, A BEAUTY TASTEMAKER TURNED FOUNDER OF A SIZE-INCLUSIVE BRAND AND A DRAG QUEEN MAKING WIGS FOR THOSE WITH ALOPECIA SHARE HOW THEY'RE CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE FEEL BEAUTIFUL

- AMANDA LEO

ON MAKING WIGS FOR THOSE WITH HAIR AND SCALP ISSUES

SALOME BLAQUE

Drag queen and founder of Wigs by Salome

"I started started doing wigs while I was still in the theatre industry around seven years ago. My signature style back then was marcel waves, so I mainly catered to theatre performers and drag queens here. Doing so many shows gave me access to lots of techniques, and I learnt about the fibres and textures used from different factories.

So when a friend of mine pushed me to start doing it for drag queens, I started Wigs By Salome. I've been running the label for around six years now, and now I'm pretty much stuck into the wigs business! We have full wigs, but we also have extensions and ponytails in a variety of styles to suit every look. And there's also the 'glueless' collection which doesn't need a lot of styling - it's the hair equivalent of putting your heels on and getting ready to go in three minutes.

After receiving queries from people with scalp or hair issues, I realised that my wigs could help those who had alopecia, hair thinning, or those who were recovering from chemotherapy. And so I worked with my supplier to create a particular fibre that mimics human hair better. Synthetic wigs are usually shiny, tangle easily, and tend to get warm after 20 minutes of wear in Singapore's heat. But this particular fibre flows naturally, it's lighter, cooler, and can be worn for a long time. These customers tell me that my wigs have become a big part of their lives.