Let Raquel flip your wig

There's nothing worse than a bad hair day. Ask Durban theatre veteran Anthony Stonier, the leading lady in Durban's pantomimes for almost two decades.

Though the frocks and ball gowns he slipped into year after year were just fabulous, the hot, itchy nylon wigs were not.

Six years ago, in a state of utter desperation, Stonier Googled "wigs" and came up with actress-turned-wig-entrepreneur Raquel Welch's Hair Collection.

"There were handfuls of overseas companies selling wigs that she had pioneered, so sight unseen I ordered one for that year's panto. It was the best investment I ever made," Stonier says.

The wig survived a three-month run, six nights a week, under sizzling lights and continued to star on stage year after year. More wigs made their way to Durban, courtesy of the Welch Hair Collection, all gorgeous, realistic and easy to wear.

The more Stonier flaunted his silky tresses, the sorrier he felt for women who were obliged to wear cheap Chinese imports. "I'd look at these women with their spiky nylon wigs that had been sprayed into a crash helmet and would think to myself: 'Girl, if you only knew what was available .'."

Eventually Stonier and theatre producer Sue Clarence began investigating the possibility of importing the wigs and opening a South African franchise.

Their company, Status Wigs, which has outlets in Durban and Johannesburg, was launched earlier this year. The wigs are made of an artificial fibre called Vibralite, which is unique to these hair pieces and a registered trademark. They are protein rich and soft, and come in a range of natural colours. The open construction cap is made of specially designed elastics and laces. That the cap is not solid means the wig is not hot or uncomfortable and that it moulds to the shape of your head. Unlike other false hair, the style is built into the wig. "Wash it, hang it on the line, slap it on your head, fluff it up and you're good to go," says Stonier.

A recent convert is 25-year-old actress and singer Londiwe Dhlomo. Stonier and Clarence asked her to model the wigs for a photo shoot and gave her one as a gift.

Dhlomo says her asymmetrical bob is surprisingly comfortable: "Usually I do a weave and most of my friends prefer extensions, but these wigs are really convenient.

"I wear it to smart functions or if I am going out to dinner. It's really trendy and it doesn't look anything like a wig. I emceed an event last week and a woman came up to me and asked me where I'd had my hair done. She nearly fell over when I said it was a wig."

It's all about creating an image, a look - and to create any look there is artifice involved, says Stonier. "You must look fabulous for that moment in time without having to make fundamental changes or spend hours at a salon."

As Welch, now 70 and still magnificent, is reported to have said: "There are three things every woman needs every day: pretty shoes, a lovely handbag and a good hair day."

• Status Wigs are sold through party plan direct sales. Call 082 882 9869 or 011 252 2611