IN THE SALON INDUSTRY, there are two types of people— those who say they can do textured hair and the select group of stylists that specialize in texture hair. Cesar Ramirez, the newest Mizani celebrity stylist and our cover artist, is definitely a member of the latter. Having grown up amidst hairspray and rollers in his family’s small hair salon, the Puerto Rican curl guru knows his way around a diverse clientele base.

Ramirez has trained with some of the beauty industry’s top stylists, and his a-list looks have been featured on shows including Celebrity Apprentice, All about Aubrey and Lala’s Full Court Life. He also offers his magic to a long list of celebrities (Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Demi Lovato, Ciara, Adrienne Bailon and Rita Ora). But beyond Ramirez’s celebrity work, his unique, artistic approach has graced the runways at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week and have adorned the pages of everything from Vogue and Harper’s Bazar to GQ and Latina Magazine.

“Textured hair can be a challenge, but it can also be exciting when you realize the beautiful fabric that you are working with." - Ceasar Ramirez

With a following of more than 30,000 on Instagram alone (@cesar4styles), it comes as no surprise that the inspiration for this shoot came from social media. While researching, Ramirez found that the super-photoshopped hair images on Pinterest weren’t receiving a lot of attention. Instead, it was the shots of everyday clients and selfies of girls with beautiful hair that were trending. “We wanted to create a ‘real’ feel to the collection; that attracted consumers to see what Mizani can do,” Ramirez says.

Mizani products were used on set at the shoot—including the recently released Fiberfyl treatment. “Fiberyfyl is a new strengthening treatment with breakthrough Filloxane technology; a strand-by-strand restorer that fills in weak areas of the hair,” Ramirez says. “Traditionally, protein treatments are used for strength, which can result in the hair feeling hard or brittle. Fiberfyl maintains the hair’s pliability and softness.” Since models are constantly on set, the hair takes a beating, so using the Fiberfyl system set us up for success.” With New York City as his backdrop, Ramirez was able to successfully capture the understated cool that every curly girl craves. “Textured hair can be a challenge, but it can also be exciting when you realize the beautiful fabric that you are working with,” he says. “When you successfully achieve the perfect shape and style, it’s so fulfilling.”