If you've had the pleasure of seeing comedian Abby Howells live, you'll know how weirdly wonderful she is to watch. Hailing from Ōtepoti, Howells has been writing and performing award-winning comedy since she the 2014 debut of her solo show Glocknid: Dwarf Warrior. Following that, she won the Director’s Award at the 2021 Comedy Festival with her hilarious show HarleQueen, where she discussed female comedians from history.
This month, the 2023 Billy T Award nominee performs La Soupco - a screenplay Howells wrote when she was just 11-years-old - as part of the NZ International Comedy Festival (it runs in Auckland from May. 23-27). La Soupco is a nautical romance, set in the wake of World War II - a bygone era that became a huge source of inspiration for the way Howells presents herself today. Just look at those perfect pin-up curls.
Like many who grew up in the early 2000s with natural curls and a GHD, it took years of frizz-fighting frustration before she learnt to appreciate what she had. "Any movie where a female character was a massive dorkizoid with no friends, she usually had hair like mine."
A pivotal moment happened after Howells tried on a 50s style dress from an op shop. Discovering the world of vintage fashion and icons like Grace Kelly was the start of embracing her curls and experimenting with pin-up styles, like she always wears on stage. We simply had to know more about her hair journey...
Okay, straight to the point... how do you get your hair to look like this?
Great question! My hair was done for me by Ella Webster - she is an amazing hairdresser and stylist and an absolute pin-up icon: She is a former Miss Pinup New Zealand, and Miss Viva Las Vegas.
I followed her on Instagram for some time and was such a huge fan, it was actually a bit of a dream to get my hair done by her. I thought the poster image for my show would be an excellent opportunity to collaborate!
What do you tend to do with your hair for shows, versus how you approach it day to day?
In my day to day, depending on what stage of the wash cycle I am at, it can either be super curly and unruly or very flat and greasy, it’s fairly unpredictable how it is going to look.
I always do my hair for shows, even small line ups, I like getting dressed up. I curl it with a curling wand, set it in curlers, leave it for a little while I do my make up, then brush it out and tame it with some hair oil.
What attracted you to vintage-inspired hairstyles, who are your inspirations?
I grew up in the early 2000s, when the GHD straightener had everyone in an absolute chokehold but I never looked good with dead straight hair. I first became interested in vintage fashion when I got a 50s style dress from an op shop and I started to feel like myself, so that started me on the path.
I think personally, I just look better in a more vintage style, I have a really round head and pale skin, it suits me. Grace Kelly has always been a big source of inspiration but there are also a lot of modern pin-ups that do incredible styles, like Ella Webster AKA Miss Victory Violet.
Is your hair high maintenance?
Yes. I only wash it about once a week because I do the curly girl method and it takes AGES.
Who ‘does’ it?
Well, Ella was my hairdresser, she was the absolute best, she worked at Killer Hair. But she has recently left to work in the world of fitness, which I’m sure she will be equally amazing at. So I am currently in the market for someone to ‘do’ me.
What products do you use to take care of it? (please be specific)
I use Olaplex No.3 as a hair mask, and Olaplex No.4 and No.5 as shampoo and conditioner. Then I use Lush Super Milk Conditioning Spray (I saw this on TikTok, people were saying it was the best smelling thing they’d ever put on their hair and I gotta say, TikTok was RIGHT). Then I use the Bumble and Bumble Curl Defining Cream and the Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil.
How would you describe your natural hair?
It’s quite dry, curly and it looks different pretty much every day. It really abides by Forrest Gump’s famous saying. [Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.]
How would you describe your relationship with your hair - today, and in the past?
I used to absolutely hate it, it was fluffy, frizzy, coarse, and never grew very long. So far away from the princess hair of my dreams. Any movie where a female character was a massive dorkizoid with no friends, she usually had hair like mine.
I think once I realised I had curly hair, which was about four years ago, my relationship with my hair started to improve because I knew how to take care of it better and I started to see it as being interesting hair, rather than terrible hair.
What was your most cringe hair phase or embarrassing haircut? (if you had one)
I had a pixie cut for a while, I think it was possibly break up related? I think it looked good when I first got it cut, but the thing about pixies is that you gotta maintain it and I absolutely did not. So it grew out into a poorly sculpted mullet that I did not have the confidence to pull off.
Who else do you think has great hair?
I am always in admiration of my fellow Billy T nominee Gabby Anderson’s hair, I think every time she posts a picture I make some comment about her hair (I try to bring a real ‘supportive Aunty’ energy to my social media presence). She has long glossy ringlets that she puts in 90s styles, incredible hair, incredible gal.
Any other good hair tips?
I think you don’t have to abide by any style or trend, and that people look their best when they feel good.
