Missy Elliott "trusts" her style and beauty team.
Missy Elliott
Alexandra Butler has worked with the 'Get Ur Freak On' rapper for the past five years, and she has revealed the superstar encourages creativity with her style.
Speaking to Refinery29, she said: "It's usually a group effort with Missy, [stylist] June [Ambrose], and the team. Of course, it also depends on the event. But, in the makeup chair, Missy is very trusting and allows me to be creative.
"I was actually on 'Glam Masters' last year, and ever since she's seen my work on that show, her attitude has just been, 'Okay now, I see you can take it there, so let's take it there.' "So there's a level of confidence I've built. I have a good idea of what she likes, and she's usually very open to what I want."
Alexandra added Missy, 48, is "so humble and down to earth", which means there is a very relaxed atmosphere when she's sat "in the chair".
She explained: "Simply being around Missy and spending so much time around her is career inspiration.
"In the chair, you would never know she's this huge superstar because she is so humble and down to earth. But over the years, seeing her remain so grounded while still being true to who she is and what she believes in is very encouraging to me as an artist.
"She's very creative, and she respects her team's crafts and encourages us to think outside of the box."
Over time, Alexandra has become more comfortable with working to her own "strengths" rather than trying to work within expectations about Missy's style.
She added: "Missy has always been extremely innovative and creative, and in the beginning, I felt like every look had to be over-the-top and insane. But I've also put in my head that I am here working with her for a reason because she knows my strengths. So, over time, that feeling has gone away. We collaborate a lot. We've found ways to marry her creativity with a modern aesthetic."
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