Former First Lady Michelle Obama has never once stepped outside without her hair looking impeccable. We’ve already praised her silk press looks and how voluminous they are. But since leaving the White House, Mrs. Obama has been wearing more braided styles that are just as gorgeous. For that, we have Njeri Radway and Yene Damtew to thank. They are the Black hairstylists who have been beside our forever First Lady since 2009 and have kept her looking her absolute best. So who are they, and how did they get Michelle Obama as a client? We’ll fill you in.
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According to pop culture publication PS, formerly Popsugar, the pair were both passionate about hair from a young age. Damtew, 37, would watch her mom style her hair on Sunday nights and picked up hairstyling as a hobby by the time she was in middle school. Radway, 37, often spent time at hair salons with her mom on the weekends.
Even though they both wanted to jump into the hair business, being the children of immigrant parents—Damtew is Ethiopian and Radway is Jamaican—they understood that their parents would want them to take a more conventional path. This led to Damtew taking business classes in college, which set the foundations of her career, per PS.
However, on TikTok, Radway admitted that even though she went to community college to appease her parents, she dropped out midway and enrolled in cosmetology school. Success wasn’t immediate for Radway. She was fired from her first salon assistant role, leading her to take on clients in her home instead of a salon. Little did she know that this hustling mentality would be perfect for a fast-paced life on the road with Michelle Obama.
In 2009, Damtew began working as an assistant under Black celebrity hairstylist Johnny Wright, who was Michelle Obama’s primary stylist at the time. During her first months on the job, Damtew worked closely with Sasha and Malia Obama. In 2010, looking for a second assistant to work alongside her, Damtew called on Radway, a stylist she knew through a mutual friend. She took her on board, according to Virginia-based publication Arlington Magazine. The pair would go on to become Mrs. Obama’s dream team over the next decade.
Now, the pair are the geniuses behind Obama’s elaborate braided styles. Damtew spends less time on the road with Obama and more time at the salon she owns in Arlington, Virginia, Aesthetics Salon, posting hair tips and tutorials for her followers on TikTok. Meanwhile, Radway often shares videos about styling Michelle Obama’s hair during press tours and hectic travel days, giving users an explanation of the looks she chooses.
The pair worked together to create some of the beautiful braided looks in Michelle Obama’s coffee table book, “The Look.” Although they appreciated being a part of the book, the stylists told women’s business publication Her Agenda that it’s not the recognition that matters, but the dedication they have to their craft.
“Not necessarily looking for the recognition, yes, it’s great, I appreciate it all, but we show up and work hard, not looking for clout. It is great to be acknowledged now after so many years, and that’s a testament to our loyalty, our dedication and hard work,” Radway said.
Since working with Michelle Obama, Damtew has gone on to work with celebrity clients such as Tracee Ellis Ross, Aja Naomi King, Skai Jackson and even Australian actor Hugh Jackman, according to her alma mater, Marymount University. Radway has worked her styling magic on the likes of former Vice President Kamala Harris, journalist Michele Norris, actress Rita Wilson and actor Tom Hanks, according to Beautycon.
Talking about her awe-inspiring career with Michelle Obama, Radway told Beautycon that the most valuable lesson she took from it was to always follow her intuition.
“I learned to follow my gut. Perfect my craft, show up, and do my best. Because you never know who’s watching. Also, it’s not always what you know but whom you know,” she said.
Mrs. Obama has established a close relationship with the ladies who keep her looking great. In a 2025 interview with Byrdie, Obama called Radway and Damtew part of her “family,” along with the other stylists and makeup artists who help keep her looking her best.
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