What Red Carpet Prep Is Really Like, According to a Celeb Hairstylist

When I sit down with Harry Josh on the Friday before the Golden Globes, I half expect him to be distracted—maybe even a little stressed. After all, just a couple of hours after we speak, he'll be jumping on a call with Taylor Schilling to begin discussing her hair look for Sunday's ceremony, which he'll be styling. Tomorrow, they'll meet in person to make a more definitive plan and test a couple of looks, and the day after that, it's go time. And this is just the beginning of several weeks' worth of high-profile red carpets and interviews for many of his clients—a packed agenda, much of which overlaps with fashion month, no less.

But nope—Josh is high energy and all smiles at an event for John Frieda, more excited than anything else. And as he goes on to explain, he can't really stress about it all too much, because even with all the planning over the next two days, things could change 20 minutes before showtime. "I could go in on Sunday and they’re like, 'You know what? I don't want to do that anymore,'" he says. "That kind of stuff is organic, but it keeps us on our toes, and it's very fun to be a hairstylist at this level where you just have to think so quickly."

Minds change. Things go wrong. He recalls one memorable occasion when prepping Gisele Bündchen for a big event, and her couture gown ripped just minutes before it was time to leave. "Someone came and had to literally sew her into her dress," he says. "I remember her being like, 'I can't go to the bathroom tonight!' So she didn't have anything to drink. There are definitely those times when people have to stitch you into dresses, or FedEx didn't deliver a belt, and it was the centerpiece of the look, so we have to try something else. So all these things can happen, and honestly, it makes the job really fun."

This last-minute mayhem also makes it hard to predict just how the look will fly with fans, viewers, and the cameras. "We definitely have those guerilla moments when the hair and makeup artists are on the floor crying like, 'Oh my god, that was a nightmare.' And then you see the pictures and you're like. 'Oh my god, she looks incredible! That was perfect!' So that does happen, and it's just kind of luck of the draw. You just kind of hope that your girl's going to get into the top 10 best dressed, or best hair and makeup looks. I don't necessarily believe in competition, but that kind of stuff does inspire us and keep us going. It's gratifying, especially when we get a text from the client during the show saying, 'Everyone's complimenting me on my hair.'"