As we continue to remain at the forefront of recognizing and highlighting black beauty, we’re here to give you all the details on the Black stylist who are beyond some of your favorite celebrity hairstyles. Whether it’s been the groundbreaking work with Beyonce, the classic stylings of Michelle Obama, or the bold colors of Cardi B, Black stylists continue to give us looks that exthue the masterful magic of textured hair.
Black stylists have continued to make their way to the forefront of mainstream culture whether it’s been being featured on high-profile runways or gracing the covers of magazines like Vogue. The meticulous work that comes with braiding or creating a custom wig are all facets of natural hair that we continue to champion and celebrate.
Check out the top 50 stylists you should be following for all the tips, tricks, and insights into creating iconic hairstyles that you will love.
With over 26 years of experience, Felicia Leatherwood is the world’s leading celebrity stylist and inspirational beauty speaker in regard to natural hair. Felicia Leatherwood has worked with high profile celebrities like Issa Rae, Lena Waithe, Anthony Anderson, Terrance Howard, and more! Known as “The Hair Whisperer” for her holistic health approach, her styles range from artistic updos, crochet braids, and elegant evening styles that have graced hundreds of red carpet award shows. Not to mention she’s the creator of the Brush with The Best detangling brush voted best brush for coil hair according to the 2020 NC Best of the Best Awards.
Shai’s fascination with curly hair began after using a diffuser and learning that curly hair has to be managed differently than straight hair. His infamous work around Hollywood had him coined as “The Curl Doctor” for his mastery in the curl-by-curl dry haircut. He’s worked with clients Logan Laurice, Tamera Mowry, Margot Bingham, and more. He revels in cutting each curl precisely with extreme definition and texture shapes.
3.Ursula Stephen
Ursula Stephen who has become the go-to expert for today’s top fashion and entertainment stars like Mary J. Blige, Zendaya, and Tiffany Hadish. As the visionary hairstylist behind style maven Rihanna, she has also worked with top photographers like Norma Jean Roy, Annie Leibovitz and more. She boasts an impressive resume of textured hairstyles whether she’s creating waves, using accessories, adding color, or weaving an elegant fishtail braid for an editorial looks.
4.Monae Everett
As a licensed hairstylist and texture expert, Monae Everett is a New York hairstylist who has worked with top celebrities like Yara Shahidi, Logan Browning, Jada Pinkett Smith. Her work has been featured in editorial magazines like Essence, Rolling Out, and Oprah magazine. Monae’s styles range from blowouts, cornrows, updos, and braided styles that have been featured in photoshoots, press tours, and media junkets. Her beauty brand The Monae Life academy features one-on-one consultations, editorial stylist tips, and her secrets for working with celebrities.
Nubia Suarez Rezo is one of the leading industry experts on all things curly. She is a curly expert, educator, and innovator that established her signature Rezo Cut, Rezo Haircare, and Rezo Academy. The Rezo Cut is a dry cut that adds balance, volume, and shape by cutting circles and triangles to create symmetry throughout the hair. She believes cutting curls should be done with the same delicacy as cutting a rose and continues to be one of the coveted stylists in the curly game worldwide.
Christin is a dual threat as a salon owner and beauty specialist who has devoted her career to helping curly-haired people feel pride in their natural hair. She specializes in pintura and balayage methods to give clients like that extra pop of color using high pigmented colors like red, purple, and shades of blue. As a Deva Curl Certified Specialist she has been a part of styling some iconic campaigns for the brand on top of advocating for curly girls at industry events like Essence Fest! Her curly updos, cuts, and shaping has been seen on stars like Yara Shahidi and Tamera Mowry.
Lacy Redway is using her talents to redefine how natural hair is portrayed in Hollywood by empowering women to embrace their natural crown. She has worked with celebrities including Tessa Thompson, Amandla Stenberg, Yara Shahidi, Zazie Beetz, and Lupita Nyong’o to name a few. What makes her such a notable hairstylist is her versatile skill set, name it and she can do it. From cascading curly updos, knee length box braids, sleek ponytails, and bedazzled baby hair– she can literally do it all, no matter the hair texture.
Aishia Strickland is a lady of many hats who juggles the roles of Curly Specialist, Educator, and Content Creator. Hailing from the windy city in the midwest, Aishia is “fluent in tight curls” and advocates for curl education through her Black Curl Magic Digital Salon. Her specialities lie in shaping and cutting tight curls during wash days as to maintain and achieve healthy hair. She provides step by step education in transitioning, dry cuts, and wash n’ gos.
This Memphis native has travelled the world as an influential style curator to celebrity clients like Simone Biles, Serena Williams, Janet Mock, Alicia Keys, and more! Her ornate hairstyles and artistry can be seen on clients in Vogue, Billboard, and The Hollywood Reporter. Nai’vasha’s talents are displayed in the talent and range of her work from sleek ponytails, faux locs,and mahogany halo’s just to name a few. Each hairstyle she creates is customized according to her client, event, and the collaborative vision they have whether it’s music, entertainment, or media.
Internationally-acclaimed celebrity hairstylist Vernon Francois has been a longtime curl advocate to the stars like Lupita Nyongo, Elaine Wentworth, Amandla Stenberg, and Ayesha Curry. He has become world renowned for his ability to create endless versatility with textured hair with features on international fashion magazines like L’officiel, Vogue, Allure, Cosmo and the list goes on. His intricate work is seen in styles like his sweeping updos at red carpets, braids, locs, sleek cuts, knotless braids, and two-strand twist outs.
Ever since she opened her own hair salon in 1995, Kim Kimble has been unstoppable. After working on hit reality series like L.A. Hair, she received international acclaim for her work on Beyonce’s infamous Lemonade project, The Gift album, Ivy Park campaigns…need we say more? Her artistry knows no bounds whether she’s using the classic bead + braids combo for Brandy’s album cover or shaking it with Shakira’s long cascading waves at the SuperBowl. Whether she’s selling products, working on celebs like Kerry Washington and Storm Reid, or hosting academy classes for beauty branding, Kim is on the move!
The “hair legend” himself, Chuck Amos has been expertly crafting the coveted styles of celebs like Lil Kim , Solange, Taraji P. Henson, and Tracee Ellis Ross. He believes in crafting natural hair textures with plenty of moisture and shine that will keep your hair healthy and fabulous. His work has been featured in several publications, media campaigns, and editorial work around the globe. Chuck believes in adding dimension and fun creative elements to each style he creates whether he’s creating “fun curls” for a beauty brand, hair art with magical designs that celebrate afro-hair, or cascading micro braids that that go on for days.
Leysa Carrillo is a curly expert, educator, and mizani + redken ambassador who is nationally recognized for her vibrant hair color transformations. With over 12 years of industry experience, she is the founder of Forever Curls education which provides stylists all over the world with the tools to cut and color textured hair through her innovative workshops and tours. She has been featured in publications like Allure, Seventeen, Nylon and more for her artistic styles that blend seamless colors and playful hues that make curly masterpieces.
Tippi Shorter is a celebrity hairstylist and mizani artistic director who has worked with icons like Taraji P. Henson, Yara Shahidi , Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Hudson to name a few. She has continued to make waves within the fashion and beauty world styling models during New York Fashion Week with artistic cuts and bold colors. As a “texpert” she styles textured hair with extension, wigs, and the signature mizani “air cut.”
Shani Crowe is a master of creating hair styles that show the beauty of range of the African diaspora. Her intricate corn-rowed hairstyles are prominently featured in large photographic portraits that put the full spectrum of African beauty on display for anyone to see. As a Pan Africanist she takes pride in celebrating each aspect of African culture by paying homage to her ancestry in her work. She has created coveted halo looks for Solange, collaborated with fellow artists to craft beautifully starburst braided designs, and continued to pay homage to her roots with Dorcas.
Texture and style go hand-in-hand for the bold and confident Pekela Riley. She wears the crown of Global Artistic Director for L’OReal Mizani, Ulta Pro Team member, and the founder of True and Pure Texture extensions. As a natural hair expert and celebrity stylist she has been featured in Essence, Modern Salon, Upscale magazine. Her hand crafted hairstyles are the definition of beauty and grace as she aims to put texture on full display with chic updos, blended bangs, high volume hairdos with intricate accessories and super ponytails with defined coils.
Kristy Ramos is a curly hair specialist and passionate educator for teaching naturalistas how to embrace, love, and understand how to manage their curly hair. She uses fashion and pop culture icons like Prince to create beautifully shaped cuts that compliment a person’s profile. Kristy tours the country teachings stylists how to approach a curly haircut and how to style various curly types with multiple patterns.
As the “artistically” curl specialist, Keya Neal is industry advocate, educator, and coach that teaches the important topics like texture vs. race, kulture kompetence, the language of texture, and more! Keya is a master at kolour kulture and teaches how to master coloring through theory, chemistry, and techniques. Her color techniques range from grey coverage, blending, toning, and blonding through live demonstrations and thorough breakdowns of pigments.
Nigerian American artist Susan Oludele made her debut as a stylist by creating braids and extensions for Solange Knowles. Susy has become infamous for creating game changing styles featuring afro-centric that reflect the passion of hair culture. This is often displayed in her iconic and innovative hairstyles that put detailed braid techniques like micro braids, box braids, bantu knots, cornrows, and colored extensions weaved into the hair pattern. She has continued to make waves in the styling industry as the salon owner of Hair By Susy which was recognized as the top beauty salon in NYC.
20.Michelle Thompson
Award-winning textured hair specialist and has been reigning as the “British Afro Hairdresser of the Year” for creating beautiful and wearable styles. Her style is “simple but effective” with artistic styles that showcase femininity, fashion, and the creativity of natural, afro hair. Her textured hairstyles have continued to blend creative and high fashion looks that are seen on runways and editorial shoots around the world. Whether she’s elongating curls with big volume, keeping it stylish with bantu knots, taking a classic bob and changing it with a new shade, or slaying edges with graceful pearls, there is nothing Michelle can’t do.
Commonly known as the “Hair Macgyver,” Nikki is known for creating aesthetics that mix avant-garde ideas with traditional techniques that have been seen on clients like Janelle Monae, Zoe Kravtiz, LaLa Anthony, Solange Knowles,and Jurnee Smollet. She loves to contrast texture like an Afro, perm or deconstructing a classic style like a ballerina bun with microbraids. Her word spans chic, graceful, and artistic designs that are often the highlight of every red carpet star she is styling. She continues to create gravity defying styles for high fashion and keeps it classy with beautiful top knots, updos, and fishtail braids.
As the celebrity hairstylist to Gabrielle Union, Regina King, Danai Gurira, and Zendaya…Larry Sims has mastered removing wigs, weaves, lacefronts, and sew-ins. He has become a premiere hairstylist in the entertainment industry and is most sought out during awards season for his red carpet looks. Larry deals in the details and flawless styles that evoke royalty, high fashion, and elegance. His style focused on shaping, coiled curls, clean cuts with a bob,or textured updos.
Mona Baltazar is the creator of the infamous “Mona Cut” which is all about “creating silhouettes and moving shapes.” As a native of the Philippines her background in Fashion Design has greatly influenced the way she cuts textured hair. The Mona Cut works with your hair’s natural texture and motion which has made it a coveted haircut that curlies from all over the globe seek to obtain.
Haiya is the founder of H.E.R. curls, a custom technique for cutting curls and coils that has established her as a force in the curly community since 2014. Haiya seeks to empower her clients through self-love and encouraging clients to come in with their hair curly versus straight. Her cuts focus on shape, volume, and plenty of color. She recently opened up her first salon in Dallas, Texas in addition to styling clients in Brooklyn and L.A.
With over 20 years of experience as a celebrity stylist, Taskisha continues to bring innovative styles to her clients in print and television. Her portfolio spans magazine covers with Kerry Washington, Willow Smith, Liza Koshy, and Vanessa Hudgens to name a few. Her styles are timeless and often incorporate accessories like that help accentuate the texture for a defined and graceful look. Takisha can take any modern look whether it’s a bun, bobs, a cascading ponytail, or an updo and incorporate bejeweled accessories to glam up the look.
Image Source: @Rachel_Redd
ATL native Rachel Redd continues to turn heads for her show-stopping looks that focus specifically on natural hair. Rachel is best known for her intricate colors and use of dyes on textured hair that continues to normalize the coloring process on natural hair. Her colors focus on warm hues and tones to warm up the hair like red, honey, ginger, and rose gold. She continues to educate her clients by restoring and repairing any damaging color processes through healthy techniques like balayage, highlights, and foil placement.
Stash M. Harris, the owner of Natural Hair Studios in NYC and inventor of the Magic Fingers Shine ‘N Jam. This NYC entrepreneur creates stunning braided hairstyles like criss-cross stitch braids, zig-zagged sleek ponytail, loc retwist, and knotless box braids. Her intricately braided hairstyles are sought after around the world and she teaches the secret to her coveted hairstyles in her “Hands On” braiding classes. These coveted styles highlight the beauty of braiding with complex styles that highlight the detail and magic of why braids are such a pivotal aspect of Black culture.
Image Source: @kyssheart
Slay, slay, slay that is the name of the game when you are getting your hair done by Kyss. You can often catch her styles in CURLBOX featuring Mielle Organics CEO Monique Rodriguez where her dynamic looks are front and center whether she’s creating a curly faux bob or an artistic afro brimming with color. Her work on stars like Susan Kelechi Washington, Naomi Campbell, Michelle Williams,and Janelle Monae, showcase the versatility of classic styles like a blowout, soft waves, and adorned layered hairstyles.
The “Texture Guru” is in the building and he is here to celebrate the unique beauty of natural hair whether he’s working with kinky, curly, wavy, or straight hair. His iconic styles have included Jill Scott, Kelis, Estelle, and Anika Noni Rose to name a few of the heavy hitters he’s worked with in the entertainment industry. His styles feature big volume, soft waves, and tight curls that have been showcased in high fashion and editorial photoshoots. He opened Hair Rules Salon NYC in 2009 which was the first multi-textural salon in the US.
Image Source: @tymwallacehair
Some of the industry’s most popular celebrities like MJ Rodriguez, Skai Jackson, Mary J. Blige,Brandy, and Taraji P. Henson have gotten their hair “Tossed By Tym.” With over a decade in the industry Tymothe loves to reinvent his clients classic beauty looks and has been a driving force in television with credits on MTV, VH1, Black Girls Rock, and more. Tymothee creates flawless and defined styles that range from textured bobs, sleek blowouts, high volume curly fros, and big cascading waves with a glamorous twist.
As a master stylist and educator, Jamal Edmonds is a Mizani stylist who has created styles for editorial, print, runway,glamour, and media. He advocates for texture education and provides consultations for graduations, proms, weddings, and any special event you want to host. Jamal likes to create fun and playful updos that highlight the hairs natural texture, mixing textures like sleek ponytails and braids, and geometric shapes like zigzags for seasonal events.
Image: @naeemahlafond
The queen of statement hair has continued to elevate the natural hair world with big and bold hairstyles that defy gravity. She often uses fluff, updos, and geometric shapes to create editorial looks that have graced the pages of Paper magazine, Essence, Vogue, and Allure. For Naeemah the art is all in the hair which is why her styles continue to combine complex elements like accessories, color, braids, and big volume that makes a statement. Her styles are bold, edgy, and reinvent the idea of the traditional coils and curls by elevating them with blowouts, flyaway hairs, and braids.
Michelle O’ Connor is the L’Oreal artistic director, creative director for Salon by InStyle, and 5x North American Hairstyling award winner. Her intricate work features braided hairstyles, comb twists, mixing textures within, and small details like pearls and beads to accessorize her styles. Her beautiful updos have been featured in high fashion campaigns and editorial shoots around the world for the creative artistry that showcases big hair in all it’s glory. Michelle often combines blended textures with vibrant colors like purple, pink, shades of green, and flashes of orange with tangible accessories like fishnet, chevron adorned accents, and more.
Image Source:@haircolorkilla
This beauty maven is the owner of the K.Louise Boutique salon for textured hair specialists in Philadelphia. Kara also features tutorial classes that teach color correction on textured hair, how to create a tapered cut, and advanced highlighting techniques on textured hair. Her hair coloring techniques showcase colored twist outs, brass free blonde, chocolate browns, lucious copper tones, and braided styles weaved into beautifully textured coils and kinks.
Evan Joseph is a curly stylist and independent educator who believes in creating “curly hair simplified for all.” As founder and senior director of Evan Joseph salon love to celebrate the uniqueness and individuality of textured hair. He uses color techniques like painting, dry curly cuts, highlighting the natural hair pattern, and styling with technique instead of focusing on the texture.
Daisy “Daze” Henson is the curl artist who loves her clients to be happy, confident, and with all the skills needed to style their natural texture. She has worked with NFL host MJ Acosta, Christina Cooper, and worked with several designers featured at Paris Fashion week. She uses her background in portrait drawings and oil paintings as inspiration for each style that she cuts.
37. Aleisbel Vazquez
Aleisbel brings you creativity, art, and all the curly inspiration as the CEO and founder of CURLPOP. As the former artistic director for DevaCurl she is now a proud independent stylist and educator who seeks to combine her love of art, photography, travel, and self-love to celebrate all the beauty of natural hair. She specializes in shaping, texture, with lots of volume, and even bigger curls that her clients love.
As a curly/kinky colorist, Mattie Michelle loves to bring the magic of color to curly hair. Hailing from the Dallas/Austin area, Mattie likes to challenge herself with unique colors like lavender blonde, red, and orange as she works to preserve the healthiness of each curly tendril. She empowers each of her clients by emphasizing they remember their magic and celebrate their beautiful crown.
39. Atoya Bass
The curly hair expert is in the building! Atoya Bass has been devoted to learning the technique of waves and curls for the past 7 years. She is a champion for shape, volume, and curly education that emphasizes healthy curls through hydration as the basis for every style that is created. Curlies can take her curly hair course to learn more about the curly girl method and how to apply it to their everyday routine, or she can teach you one-on-one through custom curl coaching.
Sheryl is a curly hair specialist who is here to make you fall in love with your natural hair. She is a licensed cosmetologist and curly hair specialist and has her own boutique, The Curl Suite, dedicated to curly hair. Her expertise is in shaping and styling all types of textures across the curly spectrum and she loves to celebrate the beauty of fros, deep conditioning, definition, and tight coils.
It’s a vibe for Houston stylist Celeste who is the self proclaimed “Fro Whisperer” and founder of the Eclectic Vibez studio. Celeste seeks to empower and uplift Black culture with an artsy and unapologetically bold approach to her styles. She specializes in locs, using perm rods, flexi rods, twist-outs and big transformations that her clients love.
Are you ready to meet your hair goals? Yessenia is the textureologist who is here to help you celebrate and love your curly hair. This NYC native is known for her precision as a curly cut expert whether you have curls, coils, or kinky hair. Her work has been featured in publications like Essence, MTV, and Vogue just to name a few. She is a big advocate for geometric shapes and growing and glowing with her clients through her epic hair transformations that kill before/after.
Ona Diaz-Santin is curl expert and international educator who has been killing the hair game for over 20 years. As the CEO of 5 Salon and Spa she has been featured in Pop Sugar, Oprah Magazine,Latina Magazine, and worked behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. Her artistic updos blend high fashion and textured hair with accessories that highlight the client and their cut. She continues to be a headlining speaker at industry events and provide curly education for her naturalistas to maintain healthy curls.
The curls are popping down south and we can’t get enough! Robin Sjoblom has over 20 years in the hair game cutting and coloring curly hair. She has garnered numerous awards like Modern Salon Top 100 Stylist, Curl Artist of the Year, Top 10 Curl Artist in the World & More! She specializes in all curly types and uses the power of touch to feel where the curl should be clipped. You can catch her getting playful with vibrant colors or changing up a bob with alot of textured layers.
Jessica is the curl expert who is here to lend a hand in style and education. As a stylist for Ouidad in NYC Jessica loves to provide curl education to naturalistas whether it’s products to use when you are working out or how to protect your hair when you are sleeping. Her work has been featured in Glamour, Bustle, Vanity Fair and more! She’s cut hair for celebs like Laurie Hernandez and focuses on creating dynamic short styles for naturalistas wanting to do a big chop.
Not everything in the desert is dry. Curly hair specialist Loni Jean is the owner stylist of Desert Curls Studio in Nevada. Her biggest passion lies in first educating her clients and working to achieve the desired look before even snipping a curl. She uses plant based ingredients to achieve the healthiest hair possible and likes to walk her clients through specific terms and chemicals that could be harmful to curly hair. Her specialities lie in balayage highlights, enhancing the natural curl, hydration lessons, and superior grey coverage.
Kauilani Goodwyn is a colorist, stylist, and educator who took her background in chemical engineering and combined it with her love of natural hair. For the past 14 years she has been a certified color educator who has styled hair on the runway for New York Fashion Week, editorial shoots, and celebrity catalogs. Her beautiful styles combine African artistry with textured styles like locs, cornrows, corset braids, and more. Her custom colors feature twist balayage techniques and bright colors like red and yellow.
Joe Miguel is a curly stylist and educator who has been working in the industry for over a decade. As a master colorist he is known for creating intense color combinations and taking the time to provide thorough education to each of his clients. His gorgeous styles create shape, movement, and volume through his one of a kind transformations that have become his signature trait.
Image Source: _thehalfrican
April Kayganich is a curly stylist based out of Austin, TX. Known as the local ‘Curl Whisperer’, her curly transformations are known for being amazing! Check out her instagram for some examples of her work.
Last, but certainly not least, is Nia Petit, known to instagrammers as Niathelight. Known for her majestic curls and beautiful smile, she is also the CEO and owner of salon The Curl Bar London. Check out this article to read her inspiring story!
Know of any stylists we missed? Share with us in the comments! And let us know if you’ve visited or plan to visit any of the stylists listed.
