Stylist Spotlight with "Lady Tee" of Hair Kre8ions

It’s always great when I encounter natural hair stylists who are not only good at what they do, but also passionate about what they do. What makes me even happier is when it’s former classmates who are doing well for themselves and making naturals even more beautiful along the way.

A little while ago, I had the opportunity to talk to an old friend, Latoya “Lady Tee” Pinkney-Cofield, owner of Hair Kre8ions in D.C. Below, find my short interview with her.

NU: How long have you been a natural hair stylist?

LT: I have been a natural stylist for 12 years now.

NU: What made you want to focus on natural hair, if that is your main specialty?

LT: I love that I could be more creative with different techniques to show my true talents and skills with natural hair. I specialize in locs, twists, loc extensions, [and] natural styles such as mohawks, etc…

NU: As a natural hair stylist, what is the most important thing to you concerning your customers?

LT: [Overall] hair care is most important.

NU: For the ladies who are transitioning or already natural, what advice do you have for them concerning natural hair and/or loc maintenance (if interested in getting loc’d)?

LT: My advice would be to consult with the person who will be caring for your hair, ask what products they are or will be using when you receive their services, research your products… and make sure that it’s a natural product line and/or hair care system that is for natural hair. Ask plenty of questions if you are unsure about transitioning or being natural.

Simple and to the point. :)

If any of my readers are local and interested in scheduling a consultation with Lady Tee, she can be contacted at (202)350-7952. Below you will find some of her beautiful work.

Stylist Spotlight with Shannon

As some of you may (or may not) already know, I wanted to showcase some natural stylists on my site. At first I was going to strictly focus on local stylists, but I felt like I was doing a disservice to my Naturalistas who aren’t local and are in search of a stylist who works with all types of natural hair.

So this time around, we’re taking our spotlight down south…..to Texas. :)

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to ask Shannon (aka @Sassy_Roots on Twitter), who is a natural stylist/loctician in the Houstan area, a few questions about herself. Below you’ll find our interview and some pics highlighting some her talent.

NU: How long have you been a natural hair stylist/loctician?

Shannon: I made the transition from relaxing hair to loving natural in 2008.

NU: What made you want to focus on natural hair care, or was that always your focus?

Shannon: It was about five and half years ago when I made the transition from being a part of the creamy crack family. Now being a part of what I call "The Curly Elite" has brought me so much love and inspiration. I had to become deeply rooted in knowledge and educate others in my journey. I am perpetually intrigued with natural hair and love to dig right into all the different textures of our hair.

NU: If someone was considering loc'ing their hair, what would they need to know and/or do?

Shannon: First, breathe….(Embrace your in-between stage). Don't just ask people for advice, actually do the research yourself. There are great websites and blogs (wink) that give great insight, support and advice. Next, find a stylist that can walk with you through your journey. Not just a stylist who will get you in and toss you away without the proper knowledge for at home care. Home [hair] care is very important! If I care for your hair, I definitely want my client to care about their hair as well.

NU: What advice do you give your clients concerning hair care and maintenance that you can share with my readers?

Shannon: Advice that I can give is to actually pay attention to what your stylist is doing to your hair. Find women and men alike who have natural hair and locs that can encourage you on your journey. Condition!! Condition!! Condition!! It’s SO important. Your natural hair is like that homey, lover-friend…..You have to have an ongoing relationship with it. Show love to it by massaging it and playing in it. Just like a relationship, it has to be shown attention because if not, it will BREAK(off) up with you...

I have to say, those last couple of sentences puts the relationship between our hair and ourselves into perspective quite nicely, don't you think? ;)

Anyway, for those in the Houston area who might be interested in maybe scheduling an appointment or consultation (if provided), Shannon works at the Priority Barber Salon, located at 15207 Vickery Drive, Houston, TX, 77032. She can be reached at
281-506-0656.

Are you a natural hair stylist?

It's difficult finding stylists who know how to cut your hair. Not only that, but being able to style your hair outside of just cornrows as there are more styles that can be accomplished on [natural] hair. Couple that with BEING natural, and you have an added difficulty as many stylists are trained to cut and style STRAIGHT hair. In recent years, many institutes(Aveda, Jonathan Storch Curly Hair Institute, etc.) have implemented programs that train stylists to cut naturally curly hair, but searching for good stylists remains a challenge.

Here's what I'd like to do. If you're a natural stylist, or one who specializes in not only cutting curly/highly textured hair that ranges in curl, but STYLING natural hair, I want you to get in contact with me so that you can be featured to my readers. We need to know where you are so that when the time comes, and we're in need of your services, we don't have to go searching for a needle in the haystack. While there are resources that list natural salons, they don't necessarily LIST their stylists(and there work) and just because you work with naturally curly hair doesn't mean you're good at it. The same applies to those who DON'T work with natural hair. Just because you have a license to style hair, doesn't mean you're good at it. I know some of you have stylist horror stories that can confirm that statement. LOL!

So if you're good and KNOW that you're good, I want to hear from you. Email me at naturalurbanista@gmail.com.

Stylist Spotlight with Ajani of Gena's Creative Beauty Salon

I had the pleasure of meeting this gentleman at an open mic at Bohemian Caverns a week ago. Not only is he a talented musician/singer (brotha WORKS the stage! I don’t think y’all heard me....WORKS IT!!), a loving and devoted dad, and artist (peep his work below), he’s ALSO exceptional in the craft of beautifying a woman's natural tresses.

Ajani has been a natural hair stylist for the last 6 yrs, and in speaking with him, his passion for natural hair care (and life in general) oozes from his aura. I don’t know about you all, but in looking for a natural stylist, I want to go to someone who is NOT only knowledgeable about what they do, but also PASSIONATE about what they do. Not just someone jumping on a trend or bandwagon in hopes of ONLY cashing in. We ALL know there are A LOT of those popping up trying to capitalize on this burgeoning niche market by pushing [mediocre] products and services.

He’s definitely not the latter, but I digress.

I asked him a few questions and he was gracious enough to answer them for you all.

Why is natural hair your passion?

I love to see women the way God intended. I love the feel and look of all natural textures. I have seen the long term effects of chemical processing and it's a turn off.

As a stylist, what do you hope your patrons walk away with, outside of fab hair?

I want my clients to leave with a sense of satisfaction that they spent their hard earned money and valuable time on a genuinely good service. I also want them to know I am here to support them on their journey.

Do you have any advice for those that want to go natural or those that have already begun their natural journey?

Patience, patience, patience!! The journey is not easy in the beginning, but the outcome is amazing!

So there you have it! You can’t say I didn’t hook y’all up. ;) He works with all types of natural hair, whether loc’d or loose. Below I’ve posted some of his hair art and his artwork showcasing the body and natural hair, along with his carpentry skills (click thumbnails to view larger pics). I mean, can you say TALENTED?!

For hair appointments and/or queries, you can reach Ajani aka “The Maintenance Man” of Gena’s Creative Beauty Salon located at 3630 Georgia Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C., at 202-829-8066 or directly at 202-706 8707.

Tell him “the lioness” sent ya! :) Oh, and for the record...I was NOT paid or given any incentive(s) to glowingly endorse him. lol












Here’s some of his artwork