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Harry Styles has one of the most famous heads of hair in the music business. The 29-year-old "As It Was" singer's chocolate locks have been under the care of hairstylist — and jill of all trades! — Ayae Yamamoto since 2018.
Yamamoto, who was born and raised in Japan and was trained in both hair and makeup before moving to the United States more than a decade ago, has been on tour with Styles for five years, getting him stage-ready before he performs in front of crowds of thousands each night.
Not only does she get the British musician's hair and skin in picture-perfect condition before the show, she also grooms his band, sometimes the tour photographer and, occasionally, whoever else in his camp who needs their hair styled or a touch of makeup applied for the day.
Between stops, Yamamoto spoke with PEOPLE about her background in hair and makeup, traveling the world and what's up next for her as the current tour comes to a close.
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PEOPLE: Tell us about your background in the beauty industry.
Yamamoto: “I started my career 20-plus years ago as a hair and makeup artist, in Japan, where I'm from. I started more in makeup, but I had to also know how to do hair because in Japan, we do both. I worked there a couple years, then I moved to New York around 2011 and started studying English as well so I could assist with hair because I really liked doing it. Then I started to do more my own stuff in New York. And in 2018, I got a phone call from someone on Harry Styles’ team.”
PEOPLE: So they just called you up and that was that?
Yamamoto: “They told me Harry was going on a world tour. I didn’t say yes right away, but after that phone call, I had the chance to actually meet Harry. When we talked, that was it! He was really lovely, and I liked him right away and knew I wanted to work with him. I’m so grateful because I’ve been on tour with him ever since, and this now has been the biggest, longest tour.”
PEOPLE: How did Harry’s team find you and your work?
Yamamoto: “It was random — I had no connection with Harry and no connection with his team. They were looking for a groomer who could travel with the tour and do hair and makeup. They asked a makeup artist who asked a hairstylist who knew me and knew I was a good fit, so my name was put out there.”
PEOPLE: Wow, talk about knowing the right people!
Yamamoto: “Yes, so grateful.”
PEOPLE: Is this what you always wanted to do with your life?
Yamamoto: “I wanted to be a makeup artist because I like the colors and I like working with them. I was more into makeup as a child. My dream when I was young was to do Fashion Week in New York and Paris.”
PEOPLE: And did you?
Yamamoto: “Yes, I did, and then I moved into doing more hair, and now I'm here. From here I want to continue to do more work in entertainment — I like working with artists; it’s different from fashion.”
PEOPLE: What does an average day on the road look like when you're on tour?
Yamamoto: “Each continent has a different schedule, so every day is different. If I don't have work, I just relax. On work days, I'm doing makeup and hair for not only Harry, but the girls in the band as well. On show day, I get to the venue in the afternoon and prepare my kit. I have three to five hours; it depends. I take care of all the girls and any of the boys if they need any skin coverage, shine control or hair styling — all before Harry.”
PEOPLE: And it’s just you doing all of this work.
Yamamoto: “Yes, I do it all myself. It’s really fun!"
PEOPLE: What does it take to get Harry’s hair ready for a show?
Yamamoto: “The first day of [a new leg of the] tour makes me nervous because it’s been a bit since I’ve seen him, so I won’t know exactly what his hair will be like, but by the second show, we’ll be back on track. His hair is so nice! He’s such an energetic performer and moves a lot on stage, so I have to think about that when I get him ready. He shakes his hair around while he's performing, so I have to think about that movement when I'm doing his hair.
I really consider the location of the show and the current weather — the humidity makes a difference when it’s an outdoor show. We start with wet hair and I try to use drying products to counteract the movement and sweat. It's not necessarily water-resistant products — I don't want his hair to look dry — but things that will keep his hair looking shiny and natural at all times. If it's not enough product, his hair could fall flat, but sometimes his hair can get really curly. I want to have it keep the curl and volume."
PEOPLE: We've sat in the audience. It always looks natural from there.
Yamamoto: “Good!"
PEOPLE: I’m sure you know that his hair is basically a celebrity in its own right. Do you see fan reactions to his hair? How does it feel to be the person in charge of Harry Styles’ hair?
Yamamoto: “The fans are so passionate about his hair! At the beginning it made me nervous. Now, though, I get a lot of nice messages and it makes me so happy. Every time they compliment Harry’s hair, it’s a compliment for me, and it makes me so happy, like, okay, I’m doing something right here. They’re such big fans and they know his hair so well, so I want to do right by them, because now I’m such a big Harry fan too.”
PEOPLE: Now what about skin? What are you doing for everyone on tour?
Yamamoto: “I have everything everyone needs. Sometimes they get oily skin, or dry skin or have blemishes — it depends on the weather and their schedules and the buses and the flying. It’s hard on their skin. I bring a lot of skincare. I have small containers for creams I can give them or acne patches. I have face masks and eye masks. I have everything at all times since I can’t run to the store easily.”
PEOPLE: So you’re the mom on tour.
Yamamoto: “Yes, I am!”
PEOPLE: How big is your kit?
Yamamoto: “For the first tour, I only had one suitcase, because I just didn’t know what I would need and didn’t know how much I’d have to do. I kept adding with every tour. Then it was one bag and one suitcase. Now it’s three large suitcases.”
Anthony Pham
PEOPLE: After you send Harry out on stage, what does the rest of your night look like?
Yamamoto: “Toward the end of the show, there is one quick change, so I’m ready for a touchup there. Before that, I’m cleaning up and packing everything up to roll out. If it’s a city where we have more than one show, I’ll leave everything out and go watch the show with the crew.”
PEOPLE: Working on a tour must be very different from any of the other work you’ve done. Tell me a little about those differences.
Yamamoto: “Photo shoots are just for those moments, which is one of the biggest differences. It gives me the ability to fix things between shots, which is different from a concert. Each photo or set has a theme to reflect the hair and makeup, which I can create, whereas a performance is all about making the artist feel and look good on stage. Plus the environment is obviously totally different and on a photo shoot I would usually have an assistant. Both are so fun, just very different. And very different subjects to work with.”
PEOPLE: Love on Tour is coming to an end — do you have plans for what comes next?
Yamamoto: “Yes! First I'm taking a break, then I'm settling in L.A. to continue working in entertainment. I would love to continue to work with artists, because I’ve enjoyed working with Harry. This has changed my life, and I want to continue doing things like this with other singers or artists once this tour is over. I did some work during the months I wasn't on tour, on some photo shoots and on other projects, and I joined an agency, so I'm looking forward to starting up some other projects that hopefully I'll be able to share soon."
PEOPLE: What are some of your favorite products to use — both for yourself and on clients?
Yamamoto: "For hair, I like the Sachajuan Dry Shampoo Mousse, The Ouai Matte Pomade, UEVO Design Cube Dry Wax and Air Loose, Oribe Wave and Shine Spray and R + Co Cool Wind Cool Wind Creme and Trophy Shine and Texture Spray. I always keep skin products from Zeroid in my kit because they cater to various skin types and troubles and their lineup allows me to choose according to the skin conditions that can change on a daily basis. I also like the Shiseido D Program line."
PEOPLE: What would your ideal next job be?
Yamamoto: "Oh, that's a tough one. I'm not even sure! It will be so different to not be on tour, but I'm excited to try new things."
PEOPLE: Lastly, do you have any advice for aspiring hairstylists and makeup artists?
Yamamoto: “Surround yourself with good people in this industry and work really hard, because it will pay off. I never would have thought this would be my life — I didn’t even consider that touring as a hairstylist or groomer was an option, but here I am.”
PEOPLE: And just for fun, do you have a favorite Harry Styles song?
Yamamoto: "'Sushi!' Also 'Love of My Life' and 'Golden' and so many more."
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The Pro Files: Meet Ayae Yamamoto, the Hairstylist Behind Harry Styles' Famous Locks (Exclusive) - PEOPLE
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