Braydon Nelson, an editorial hairstylist, died Thursday at the age of 37.
The cause of death could not be learned.
Nelson, who assisted celebrity hairstylist Garren earlier in his career and went on to create his own stand-alone career, was in the early stages of launching a hair accessories brand and had styled for Vogue, Flaunt and Esquire.
“As a family, we want to send our appreciation to everyone in the fashion industry that gave Braydon the goals and dreams of his life and, ultimately, gave him a platform,” said Shad Nelson, Braydon’s brother.
Shad characterized his brother as originally a small-town farm boy from Canada who “was destined to end up exactly where he was,” adding that his passion for hair had been lifelong.
“We have photos and videos of him doing hair from when he first started walking all the way up to now. It was so special for him to get to the highest platform he possibly could. He had many accomplishments throughout his career and we hold his memory dear to us,” Shad continued.
Added Christopher Wolf, Braydon Nelson’s life partner, “My admiration for Braydon is immeasurable not only because of his incredible talent and the creativity he possessed but because of his unwavering kindness and support toward the people that he loved and his belief that the world, and everyone in it, should be good.
“He was old-fashioned at heart and appreciated nuances in daily life, human interaction and in art and fashion that opened my eyes and heart in ways that will stay with me forever,” Wolf continued.
Garren recalled Nelson flying to his salon from Canada just for an interview. “He came for the weekend, stopped by the salon on Monday and applied for a job. We asked him when he could start, and he said any time,” the cofounder of hair brand R+Co said.
They worked together for five or six years, Garren said, including on campaigns for Versace and Gucci, and on wigs for Madonna and Nicole Kidman’s cover shoot with Vanity Fair.
“We had such a beautiful relationship, and we stayed close even after he went out on his own. I was so proud of his work. In fact, I saw one of the scarves he did and I texted him asking if the scarf would work on me. He sent me one right away,” Garren continued. “It’s so sad — he was so young, so talented and genuinely such a kind person. When I posted about his passing, I had over 400 comments from people sharing how beautiful, sweet and talented he was. That really made me proud.”
A small, private memorial will be held Friday for Nelson’s friends and family.
