From braids to weaves to locks to afros, hair is a big part of who we are as Black people. In ancient African societies, the way a person wore their hair could tell you their marital status, religion and societal status. Some cultures used their style to send messages to the gods. And today, we use hair as a way of expressing ourselves and honoring a connection to our heritage.
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Creating innovative products and setting style trends, this year’s TGU honorees have made their mark on the hair industry and continue to show the world why Black hair is beautiful.
Tippi Shorter
Age:
Occupation: Celebrity hairstylist, educator
Instagram: @tippishorter
Why She Glows:
For over 25 years, Tippi Shorter has made a name for herself as a hairstylist to the stars. Alicia Keys, Rihanna and Serena Williams are just a few of the A-list celebrities whose hair she’s laid. Shorter has been an industry trailblazer with a series of firsts to celebrate. She was the first African American beauty professional spokesperson for Pantene and the first Global Artistic Director for Textured Hair for Aveda. In 2019, she was named Mizani’s Global Artistic Director, and she’s currently the newest member of the L’Oreal Professionnel Color Artist team.
But even with all she has going on, Shorter is all about sharing her knowledge with others. Along with Kauilani Goodwyn, Shorter is one of the co-creators of The Texpert Collective, a series of workshops and events dedicated to educating stylists on the proper way to care for textured hair.
Chuck Amos
Age:
Occupation: Celebrity hairstylist
Instagram: @chuckielovehair
Why He Glows:
Like so many on this year’s Glow Up list, Chuck Amos, aka The Curl Whisperer, first found his love for styling hair as a child. He says he loved trying out new styles on Barbie dolls, which was the perfect practice for his current gig styling some of the most famous manes in the business, including Alicia Keys, Tracee Ellis Ross and Kerry Washington. Amos used his curl knowledge to get into the product game with Ouidad, where he helped launch their Coil Infusion Collection, the brand’s line of plant-based products for type 4 hair. The products are made with ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil and aloe leaf to help the hair absorb moisture and prevent breakage.
Dionte Grey
Age: 27
Occupation: Celebrity hairstylist, wig
Instagram: @arrogant_tae12333
Why He Glows:
Dionte “Arrogant Tae” Gray is known for working wonders with wigs. The celebrity stylist counts Nicki Minaj and LaLa Anthony among his famous clients. With a mom, an aunt and a cousin who were stylists, you could say that doing hair was in the blood for this Chicago native. Gray grew up watching his family members in the salon and began teaching himself around age 11. And it wasn’t long before he had a clientele of his own. “As I got older, I was literally doing my mom’s friends’ hair, my cousins’ hair, and one time, I did everyone’s hair in high school for my prom and graduation,” he said in an interview with Hype Hair.
But while he goes by Arrogant Tae, Gray says the best advice he’s ever received was to remain modest in light of all of his success. “I have had a few people who give me good advice and tell me to always be myself, stay humble, never change, and never feed into the negativity!” he said.
Nikki Nelms
Age:
Occupation: Celebrity stylist, entrepreneur, influencer
Instagram: @nikkinelms
Why She Glows:
Nikki Nelms has always known she had a knack for doing hair. She got her first salon gig when she was in high school. And once her relatives and their friends noticed that Nelms’ styles were better than the trained stylists, they started asking her to work her magic on them. “Then, I started doing their coworkers’ [hair] and stuff like that. I moved on to high school, and my teachers used to sign me out on their planning periods to do their hair,” she told Elite Daily.
Nelms left college to pursue her passion full-time. From there, she started landing gigs on videos for artists like Timbaland and Kanye West. Since then, Janelle Monae, Zoe Kravitz and Solange have been just some of her well-known clients. A self-described Hair MacGyver, Nelms is known for turning hair into works of art using innovative styles and accessories in the looks she creates. “I’ve always felt that hair is the ultimate accessory,” she told InStyle.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Age: 51
Occupation: Associate Justice Designate, United States Supreme Court
Instagram:
Why She Glows:
There are so many reasons why Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson glows. For starters, she’s preparing to take her place as the first African American female justice on the United States Supreme Court. But if that wasn’t enough, she’ll be doing so while wearing beautiful sisterlocks. Her natural hair will send a less than subtle message to the rest of the country that she is unabashedly Black and let other Black women know that it is possible to achieve success while being yourself.
Although Republicans did their best to try to rattle Judge Jackson with an often aggressive, always head scratching line of questioning during her Senate confirmation hearing. Sen. Corey Booker praised Jackson’s accomplishments in an emotional speech. “It’s hard for me not to look at you and not see my mom, not to see my cousins — one of them who had to come here and sit behind you,” he said. “She had to have your back. I see my ancestors and yours.”
Kiyah Wright
Age: 43
Occupation: Hair Stylist, author
Instagram: @kiyahwright1
Why She Glows:
Kiyah Wright is an Emmy award-winning stylist who has created head-turning looks for some of the hottest stars, including Tyra Banks, Jennifer Hudson and Taraji P. Henson. But before she became a stylist to the stars, Wright built a bustling hair business in her grandmother’s basement as a teenager. And by age 17, she was pulling in over $60,000 a year.
And Wright hasn’t stopped grinding. In addition to her styling gigs, she’s created MUZE|HAIR, her very own collection of premium wigs, extensions and accessories. And in her soon-to-be-released book, From Beauty to Business, Wright shares her tips to help other stylists set themselves up for business success.
Neal Farinah
Age:
Occupation: Celebrity hairstylist, salon owner
Instagram: @nealfarinah
Why He Glows:
Neal Farinah came to the United States from Trinidad intending to become a legendary celebrity hairstylist. And after years of working in salons and slowly building his clientele, Farinah has more than made a name for himself. He’s styled the likes of Kelly Rowland, Mary J. Blige and Lizzo. He’s the mastermind behind some of Queen Bey’s most talked about looks, even going on the road with her to keep her hair tight while she was on tour. In an interview with Elle, Farinah tells readers that hairstyles don’t ever have to be permanent. And when it comes to your look, you should never be afraid to try something new. “Always think outside the box. Don’t be scared. Never be scared of a style. Go for it, and if you don’t like it, you can change it in a second,” he said. In addition to running his Neal Farinah Salon in New York City, he is currently developing his own line of hair care products.
Yene Damtew
Age: 34
Occupation: Hair stylist, salon owner, educator
Instagram: @yenedamtew
Why She Glows:
Six months after graduating from cosmetology school, California native Yene Damtew left her DIY salon in her parents’ garage to take on the ultimate dream job. She moved to Washington D.C. to become a hairstylist to one of the most stylish first families – the Obamas. And because Mrs. Obama’s hair was always laid, Damtew’s high profile position led to her work being featured in major publications such as GQ and Vogue. Today, Damtew owns the D.C. area Aesthetics Salon, where she works alongside nine other stylists to deliver great hair without a whole lot of attitude. And Damtew’s philosophy, “good hair is healthy hair,” is at the center of everything they do.
But Damtew isn’t just a talented stylist, she’s also a businesswoman. her virtual business, The Academy, teaches stylists how to boss up in the hair game more than double their income in less than a year.
Monique Rodriguez
Age: 39
Occupation: Founder/CEO, Mielle Organics
Instagram: @exquisitemo
Why She Glows:
When it comes to making quality natural hair care products, Monique Rodriguez is a boss. A registered nurse by trade, she launched her line, Mielle Organics, in 2014 after her social media followers became obsessed with how she kept her long locks looking great. Since then, Rodriguez has expanded her brand to include a diverse collection of hair products, skincare products, healthy hair vitamins and accessories.
She made history after a massive deal with Berkshire Partners made Mielle Organics the first haircare brand to receive over $100 million in investment funding. And with distribution in nearly 90 countries and major retailers such as Sally Beauty, Target and Walmart, her products have become a coveted staple in the bathrooms of naturalistas everywhere. Rodriguez also uses her platform to share her tips for successful entrepreneurship with others. She created the Secret Sauce to Success podcast to inspire others to turn their passions into successful business ventures.
Whitney White
Age: 36
Occupation: Natural hair vlogger/Founder, MelaninHaircare
Instagram: @naptural85
Why She Glows:
If you’ve ever searched YouTube for a twist out tutorial, you’ve probably seen one from Whitney White, aka Naptural85. Frustrated with the amount of time she spent in the salon to get chemically straightened hair, White decided to transition to natural hair in 2008. Throughout her journey, she experimented with products on the store shelves as well as some homemade concoctions. As she shared her process on YouTube, White’s following grew. And these days, Naptural85 has over 700,000 Instagram followers and nearly 1.3 million YouTube channel subscribers who depend on her tips and tricks for styling and caring for natural hair. White has also developed Melanin Haircare, her very own line of natural hair products.
White’s advice to those who are struggling to find their groove with their natural hair is to be patient. “It takes time to master anything in life, your natural hair is no different. Once you figure out the best methods for styling and caring for your own natural hair texture, you will begin to feel more comfortable and move more towards loving your texture,” she said in an interview with Naturally Curly.
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