Moira Frazier On Janine’s New Hair Part for ‘Abbott Elementary’ and Creating Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Iconic Super Bowl Mane

When you get ready in the morning, one of the first things you do before leaving the house is check your hair. Maybe you have a specific way of styling before you step out the door, or, maybe, you like to try something new every day. For the women of Abbott Elementary, some characters, like Janine, like their routine and some, like Ava, enjoy a variety of looks. For Abbott Elementary‘s Hair Department Head, Moira Frazier, allowing Black women to express themselves through their hair is paramount.

The very first scene of season two is Quinta Brunson’s Janine driving back to Abbott to start a new school year, and she squeals in delight to show that she ready for change. After breaking up with Tariq, Janine was ready to part her hair on a different side. It’s a quick line, but showing growth or change in a character’s arc is something that Frazier was eager to show for this sophomore season.

“I was excited to see the development of Quinta’s character, and I knew that story was going to be told through hair,” Frazier says. “That’s why that first episode she says that in the opening scene–it’s a nod to a new beginning and a nod to finding herself this season. Men and women go through break ups, and it can be a big moment in that person’s life. Sometimes you think, ‘I want something new,’ and that’s what I was looking forward to. We get to see some development and changes with how she feels about herself. As a hair stylist, it’s natural for me to encourage change.”

Another way that Frazier showed Janine’s growth was in the much talked about ‘Holiday Hookah’ episode. A few of the other teachers end up at the same club, and Gregory gets to see Janine in a whole new light because of her straightened hair. When you see Janine next to Ava or Erika, it’s almost as if she is borrowing some of their confidence and furthering her journey.

“Erika played a huge part in that,” Frazier reveals. ” She was like, ‘Girl, we need to get you out of the house, straighten your hair, and get you a sexy outfit.’ It was almost like she was taking a little bit of Ava with some inspiration from Erika to create an uncomfortable moment until she saw Gregory. Janine always looked beautiful to him, but to see that moment flourish and prove that she can switch it up was everything. We wanted to give that subtle change–she’s still got the part on the side–that some people may not notice. It was about stepping completely out of her comfort zone. Her hair gave her that confidence!”

Some of my personal favorite looks on Ava come in episode 17, ‘Mural Arts.’ Janelle James sports a lot of crimped hair throughout the episode, and Frazier always has more than 100 wigs at the ready at all times when she is on set of Abbott. Deciding on looks is an organic process for her that comes from reading every script, and she can channel a variety of looks for each character from the words on the page.

“I like to read through the scripts first,” she says. “For those who may not know, hair gives personality, and you can always tell a story through hair. When I read the scripts, I like to take note of what the characters are going through to help guide me with what they are going to look like. Even with how they are moving. For instance, with Ava, I like to play with her versatility–she whips her hair a lot. We can do middle bone straight or curly or wavy, and I like to add that kinky textures that you see in that episode. As Black women, we can wear our hair in so many different ways. Janine has two hairstyles this seasons, but not every character is confined to that. With Ava and every new look, I want her to embody that entire look. Janelle [James] does such a good job of that every week. It’s all about moves.”

Hair maintenance is incredibly important to Frazier. She offers a variety of methods to keep the actors’ hair healthy and strong. If you hair is happy and healthy, the person wearing it will exude that energy.

“I know after a long day of filming, some actors and actresses don’t like to be there longer than they should, and we don’t want them to rip their wigs off and take their edges with them,” Frazier say with a laugh. “Because of that, I decided to use my lace lock melting spray that we use on the show. It’s quick to apply and it’s quick to remove, because it only uses water. It lasts them all day of filming, and we don’t have to go with the traditional route of glue–unless there’s a wet scene. For a daily wear, we wanted to go the safest route for the hair. As a former salon owner, my goal is healthy hair. Actors work with us five or six days out of the week, so they don’t get to see their stylist as much as they would. They don’t get to get their wash and scalp massage, and that’s something we offer on set. It’s quick to apply, but we also want to show that we care about the health of their hair.”

Not only is Frazier working on one of the biggest shows on television right now, but she is the personal hair stylist to Abbott star Sheryl Lee Ralph and Nicole Byer. At this year’s Super Bowl, Ralph performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and it instantly became the talk of social media. With a huge mane of hair complimenting her shape, Frazier touched on the collaboration with Ralph with reverence.

“Sheryl is my homegirl” Frazier said with a smile. “When she asked me to work with her on it, it was such a huge honor. We wanted to spearhead a look to not only be iconic but also represent African American hair culture and our textures. We, as women, can wear it any type of way, but, for this moment, we wanted to represent with the Black National Anthem by having that big, curly, kinky hair. We didn’t do a wig–we did a U Part which is basically some tracks sewn onto her head. I took some smaller tracks and weaved it in at the top. No glue was used. I did a cute technique to blend in that texture with her natural hair. It’s important that people know that it’s not a wig. Sheryl carried it with such majesty as the queen that she is. She went on that field and served body. The wardrobe had to be big to match the big hair, and the makeup had to match. I was so happy to be part of that.”

Abbott Elementary airs every Wednesday on ABC. Follow Moira Fraizer on Instagram.