{"id":2294,"date":"2026-06-16T20:38:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T20:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2294"},"modified":"2026-06-16T20:38:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T20:38:30","slug":"quinta-brunson-and-abbott-elementary-hair-department-head-break-down-halloween-looks-melissas-80s-hair-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2294","title":{"rendered":"Quinta Brunson and \u2018Abbott Elementary\u2019 Hair Department Head\u00a0Break Down Halloween Looks, Melissa\u2019s \u201980s Hair and More"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tEven before the new season of \u201cAbbott Elementary\u201d begins, showrunner, creator and star Quinta Brunson will sit down with the show\u2019s hair department head Moira Frazier to discuss various hair changes that help elevate the characters.<\/p>\n

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\n\tBrunson explains, \u201cIt\u2019s important to show passage of time. We have this thing that I find to be important to TV shows, where I want the characters to continue to look the same. I don\u2019t want them to come in with a totally different look.\u201d She continues, \u201cPeople should be able to draw the silhouette of the characters, and they know who the characters are, and that includes hair. So, Moira will bring modifications.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAs part of her prep, Frazier builds mood boards at the start of every season with ideas for each character. \u201cI can say \u2018Yes or no,\u2019 and that sets them on the right path,\u201d Brunson says. Their collaborative process is key to elevating the looks of each character.<\/p>\n

\n\tBrunson says, \u201cWhat\u2019s fun about Abbott is that I sit in Moira\u2019s chair and get my hair done in the morning. That\u2019s where we have our meetings and talk about the looks for the other characters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThis season, Janine\u2019s look remained consistent. \u201cShe\u2019s in a relationship, and so there\u2019s consistency with her curls and hair pattern,\u201d Frazier explains. <\/p>\n

\n\tBrunson notes that, in one episode, Janine rocks a ponytail. \u201cFor Janine, going out is a different look. She believes her teacher look is one way, which is the hair down, and going out means ponytail, and it\u2019s funny because it might be the exact opposite for some other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAs Brunson returns to the writers\u2019 room for Season 6, together with Frazier, the pair look back at Season 5 highlights.<\/p>\n

\nBarbara\u2019s Wet Picture Day Look<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tFrazier explains, \u201cI took a wig \u2014 and remember that Barbara\u2019s character, in my mind, has hair relaxers. I didn\u2019t want her hair to get wet and then turn into an Afro. So, we opted for a wave pattern. To achieve that, I just wet it down and added a gel mixture with water to give it that \u2018I just got out of the rain\u2019 look.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBrunson adds, \u201cThe gel part is interesting because, on screen, it can look like she just wet her hair. But that\u2019s TV magicv\u2014vMoira used the gel to keep the look consistent through multiple takes of multiple scenes. We had conversations like, \u2018When is it less wet?\u2019\u201d She emphasizes how critical it is for Frazier to track the episode\u2019s progression, as scenes are not filmed in order.<\/p>\n

\nAva\u2019s Halloween Look<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tThis season\u2019s Halloween episode was shot outdoors during a camping trip with the kids, rather than on soundstages at Warner Bros. When Ava removes her Darth Maul mask, the wig underneath had to appear identical to the character\u2019s usual look. However, Frazier had to use two wigs to achieve this effect.<\/p>\n

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\n\tBrunson says, \u201cThe makeup team opted not to paint Janelle James\u2019 face. Because we were doing a character that was a combo of a Disney character and Darth Maul, we had to have an approved Disney look and an approved Darth Maul mask. The mask had horns sticking out of it.\u201d She continues, \u201cThis made Moira\u2019s job extra hard because the wig had to go over the horns on the mask, and the hair also needed to match the character \u2018Ma.\u2019\u201d Frazier recalls the behind-the-scenes testing: \u201cThe mask was huge and extended far back. That meant the bangs had to be long enough, so we actually made two different wigs: one wig short enough and accurate to Ma, and another that covered the mask while maintaining the Darth Maul effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nMelissa\u2019s April O\u2019Neil look<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tBrunson explains that Ava is \u201cvery good at Halloween costumes, but everybody else \u2014 not so much.\u201d Melissa\u2019s April O\u2019Neil costume didn\u2019t need to be 100% accurate. \u201cMoira pulled different April O\u2019Neil looks, and we chose the one that best matched the era for Melissa. Then it was about making it look good but not too good \u2014 it needed to feel like a makeshift Halloween costume. The hair had to look good, but not perfect, because no one really nails it like Ava,\u201d Brunson says.<\/p>\n

\n\tFrazier admits, \u201cIt\u2019s always a challenge when Quinta says the costumes can\u2019t be perfect. With Melissa\u2019s look, we had to deconstruct the hair and tease it up for the desired effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThat was a braided wig on Tyler,\u201d Frazier says about Gregory, played by Tyler James Williams.<\/p>\n

\n\tBrunson adds, \u201cWe wanted it to look like a store-bought wig that Janine braided, not exactly like Ryan Coogler\u2019s real hair. The same principle applied to the mustache, which fell under makeup. I told them, \u2018I don\u2019t want it to look too polished. I want it to feel like a store-bought mustache slapped on his face.\u2019 Those details matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nMelissa\u2019s \u201980s look<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tLisa Ann Walter came in with \u201980s references for Melissa\u2019s look. Brunson explains, \u201cMelissa, as a character, already has curly, big hair \u2014 it\u2019s not straight. So, for her \u201980s look, we needed to go bigger but not over the top.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFrazier notes that the idea of using crimps came up. \u201cIf the hair got too big, she would have looked like \u2018Grease.’\u201d She adds that, at one point, she didn\u2019t know what Melissa\u2019s outfit looked like. \u201cWhen we transitioned from teasing the hair to crimping it, that\u2019s what sold the \u201980s look.\u201d<\/p>\n

\nAva\u2019s Mall look<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tThis was one of Frazier\u2019s favorite looks. \u201cWe get to see Ava in her new relationship. She\u2019s not showing up with loud hairstyles and colors like she did in Season 1. This season, she\u2019s calm, cool, and collected. That particular color choice and the overall vibe of her look were perfect for Ava,\u201d Frazier says. <\/p>\n

\n\tBrunson notes, \u201cAva is a character that has the most diversity in her hairstyles. But even with that, we want audiences to instantly recognize her. She gets to play with hair colors, light crimps, and different parts, and I\u2019m always excited to see Ava\u2019s hairstyles. There\u2019s never been one where I\u2019ve said, \u2018I don\u2019t like that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

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Quinta Brunson and “Abbott Elementary” hair department head\u00a0on Halloween looks, Melissa\u2019s \u201980s hair and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[217],"tags":[1948,1949,1950],"class_list":["post-2294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artisans","tag-abbott-elementary","tag-creative-collaborators","tag-quinta-brunson"],"yoast_head":"\nQuinta Brunson and \u2018Abbott Elementary\u2019 Hair Department Head\u00a0Break Down Halloween Looks, Melissa\u2019s \u201980s Hair and More - Relocation Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2294\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Quinta Brunson and \u2018Abbott Elementary\u2019 Hair Department Head\u00a0Break Down Halloween Looks, Melissa\u2019s \u201980s Hair and More - 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