With roughly seven packs of bleach-blonde braiding hair, Julian and his team constructed the beautiful mermaid gown.

“I was thinking,What can I do [thats] really cool for Laverne?”

“I wanted to do something that was really kind of epic.

Laverne Cox smizing at camera in black mesh dress

Getty Images

I wanted a ‘wow’ moment.”

Anyone who has dealt with kanekalon hair knows one thing: It tanglesa lot.

And Julian learned quickly.

laverne cox in a custom dress made from kanekalon hair by Alexander Julian

Courtesy of Alexander Julian

“Kanekalon, oh my goodness.

That stuff is hard to use,” he says.

The skirt and train were the first things he and his team focused on.

After the skirt was completed, the bodice and neckline were next.

The blonde strands form the asymmetrical off-the-shoulder neckline.