Sheryl Lee Ralph & Ivy Coco Maurice on Their Mother-Daughter and Actor-Stylist Relationship

Yet, her principal client and mother, is teaching her how to maneuver with transparency as a fashion professional. “We respect each other, where I have to know her work schedule,” Maurice says. “I have to know when she feels comfortable. I have to know when she actually wants to try on outfits. I actually have to know her DNA and how she operates.”

In a relationship predicated on love, the lines between personal and business are happily muddled. “We set our boundaries really clearly with each other. But sometimes, it doesn’t feel like work because we love each other so much,” Maurice says.

The 2021 premiere of ABC’s Abbott Elementary, a mockumentary unveiling the disconcerting hilarity of education through a Philadelphia public school, thrust the show into network comedy acclaim with a momentous award cycle in tow. Ralph, who plays resolute veteran teacher Barbara Howard, won the 2022 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and found her timeless red-carpet styles flooding best-dressed round-ups.

“I always ask my mom each season, how do you want to feel?” Maurice says. At the end of each appearance, she waits up all night to present her mother with her final prompt: “What were people saying?”

Photos courtesy of Larry Barnard. Makeup by Franky Raw. Hair by Cassidy Mitchel.

In her reverential cadence, Ralph explains her absolute captivation with her daughter’s scrupulous execution. “What fascinates me though is how Ivy is able to put the whole thing together top to bottom. It’s not like someone else comes in and says, ‘This is the hair inspiration.’ It’s not like someone else comes in and says, ‘This is the makeup inspiration.’ Or somebody else comes in and says, ‘This is the jewelry.’ It’s all out of her vision.”

“Excellence with elegance” is the Sheryl Lee Ralph stylistic throughline. Timeless bodices, the subtleties of Old Hollywood shimmer, and vibrant hues are at the fore. She’s also adamant that the grueling “beauty is pain” platitude is objectively obsolete in her fashion sphere. No tight braids, no tight shoes, and absolutely no tight wigs. “Beauty should not be painful. Just like love and life, it should not hurt anyone,” she quips.