STARS HAIRDRESSERS
“I appreciate Kerry Washington because we’ve built a great friendship throughout our years….I’ve been truly blessed to travel the world with.”
Today, you are a hairstylist for celebrities such as Kerry Washington, Gabrielle Union, Ashley Graham, Uzo Aduba, Ruth Negga, and Lucy Liu…. How did you get there?
I always loved doing hair. So, I went to Queens Vocational and Technical High School. When I graduated I went to college and started working in an Upscale salon on 64th and Lexington in Manhattan. I was an assistant to six different hairstylists and within a year I started to build my own clientele. Then I started assisting on outside jobs meaning celebrities and models. Finally, one day I got the phone call to work with Kerry Washington and my career spun off since then. I have two great businesses Takisha Studio and TSD Hair Extensions. I have a business degree, and I’m also in the union. So, I work on television shows, movies and commercials.
How did you get into hairstyling?
I always did my family members hair growing up. It’s something that I always loved and still do more than ever.
What do your days look like?
My days are very busy. I wake up every morning and 5 am and workout. Then I make breakfast for my twin boys, feed my dog and then get them ready for school with my husband. I don’t sit down at home because I’m a neat freak. Everything has to be in place at all times and smell good. So, I’m always cleaning. After that I go to work whether that means I’m on a plane, or driving myself to a client.
How do you manage to combine your personal life and your professional life?
My family comes first. So, I really don’t get out much anymore because I’m so busy with work. But I do see my friends on certain weekends and I always try to attend an important event.
You work with actors like Ashley Graham, Lucy Liu, Gabrielle Union and Kerry Washington. How do you come up with the perfect hairstyle for each celebrity?
I always go off of what they are wearing. That has a lot to do with giving them the right hairstyle. I also ask them what they are feeling like on certain occasions as well.
Do the stars you take care of have special requests?
No. The people I work with are very humble and gracious.
Who did you appreciate working with the most? Why?
Kerry Washington because we’ve built a great friendship throughout our years. Plus she’s always a sweetheart and one I’ve been truly blessed to travel the world with.
What do you learn about individuals when you do their hair?
What they like and don’t like. How comfortable they are with certain hairstyles and what they will go with or what they won’t go with. I know a lot but would never tell a soul. I’m a therapist to my clients and I love it.
What brands do you use?
TSD Hair Extensions which is great quality hair that you will have for at least two years. You can purchase hair at tsdhair.com. I’m not heavy on products. But I do like some organic products.
You have many various activities. You work for ads, magazines, TV sets… Where else?
Movies, photo shoots, Takisha Studio, traveling for press junkets.
What are your goals for the years to come?
I’m finishing up my flat iron now which will be out in 2018. Then I want to get on QVC and sell out for years to come. My curling irons and brushes will follow after.
By Sabrina Fouinat