Meet Kendall Dorsey
Kendall Dorsey is a highly regarded hairstylist known for his expertise in creating stunning hairstyles for celebrities and high-profile clients. He has gained recognition for his talent, creativity, and dedication to his craft in the beauty and fashion industry. Kendall has styled the likes of Yara Shahidi, Solange, Nikki Minaj, Kelly Rowland, Rhianna and many many more. He advocates for inclusivity and diversity within the beauty industry, challenging beauty standards and stereotypes while championing the natural beauty of Black hair.
In this episode, we speak to Kendall about his experience building his career, challenges he’s faced along the way and advice he has for up and coming stylists who want to get into the world of entertainment.
Where to find Kendall: Instagram | Website
The interview
Here are all the questions we asked Kendall so you can fast-forward to the best parts.
[01:00] How did you start your journey into hair styling?
[09:38] How did it feel as you were going through the process of becoming formally trained? And, how did this play a part in taking your career to the next level?
[12:40] What is the difference between a stylist in a salon and a stylist on editorial shoots?
[14:54] How did you get your first opportunity in editorial hair styling?
[23:00] What are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced along the way?
[27:40] What was the biggest learning about yourself during this time?
[30:03] What advice do you have for aspiring textured hair stylists who dream of working in editorial and entertainment?
[35:33] What's the one memory you'll share with your family?
[38:50] What other stylists inspire you to do great work?
[42:02] What advice do you have for the everyday woman who's learning how to better manage their hair?
[45:09] What are the [product lines you would recommend?
[46:25] What are some of the big mistakes you've seen clients making when managing textured hair?
[48:40] What's next for Kendall Dorsey?
Psst… want to ask one of our guests a question? Submit your questions at the bottom of the newsletter.
Who has Kendall styled?
Some takeaways
For stylists 💇🏾♀️
In a salon, you have a chance to build a relationship with customers based on their lifestyle (e.g. if they're dating, building their career etc). With editorial styling, it's mainly about art and fantasy, you have to learn how to use shapes and artistry beyond hair styling to become exceptional at what you do.
Take your time and learn the ropes while you're building your career and be respectful of the opportunities that other stylists help you to obtain as well.
Art is subjective and you have to be prepared for artists and entertainers to move on from you to another to obtain a new look. It is not a reflection that you as an artist are not good at what you do, it's just part of the business.
It's OK to not know what your next step is and to be scared about building your career. Often being the only Black person in the room can lead to a lot of pressure, remember that you are there to learn as well as represent. Accepting that goes a long way to helping you find a place in the game.
If you want to make it into entertainment styling, be prepared to move to one of the major cities in the world (e.g. London, New York, LA, Tokyo). Do your research on the agencies in that city and put start building a relationship with those who work at the agencies by getting onto their assisting lists.
For customers 💛
Find a professional in your town and find someone who can help educate you about their hair, but let them be the expert. Make sure hair is part of your monthly budget. Find someone who can fit your space and build a relationship with them.
Tactics for shopping for products -- Look for products that promote hydration as that will go internally into the shaft of the hair. Also, look out for products that are weightless as they will not just sit on top of your hair.
Hair Brands Kendall Recommends
Colour WOW & Curl WOW | these both have a permanent place in Kendall’s kit.
Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Overcast, and YouTube.
Where to find Jade: Instagram | LinkedIn
Where to find Mane Hook-Up: Website | Instagram
Join the next LIVE ‘Ask me Anything’ session with Kya
Join us on the 3rd June for our monthly ‘ask me anything’ session with Kya. In last months session, Kya answered over 20 questions about textured hair care and hair dressing in an hour, helping our community with their natural hair care, transitioning hair, understand what it means to be a TV, Film and Entertainment stylist and more. There are limited spaces so grab your spot asap! 👇🏾
🔥 Hot takes
Beauty Boss launches one of the only Black-Owned extensions distribution companies in the US
We’ve all been to the hair shops that have been are made for the textured hair community but not run by us. What’s worse is the number of Black women and women of colour who try to break into the product distribution industry only to be blocked and outright refused to be sold to.
That happened to Kaylah Joseph one too many times. By the 12th time Kaylah had been rejected by a set of distributors, she refused to let any one else discriminate against her for $5 braiding hair.
With Black women owning less than 3% if the Black beauty product supply industry (despite spending 4x more on hair and beauty than women of any other race), Kaylah launched LAID Beauty Bar, a braiding hair distribution company is the US made in collaboration with Walmart.
After sharing her triumph on LinkedIn a few weeks ago, Kaylah’s post went viral, which also led to her creating a website for people to buy these hair products from.
And we love to see it. If you’re looking for braiding hair, weaves or wigs in the US and want to buy from a Black-owned company, head to the LAID Beauty Bar to support Kaylah and her vision.
🧴Brand radar
Richualist: Equipping textured hair girlies with the tools to style faster
You know we're always on the lookout for the next big thing that will help people manage their textured hair. And we were lucky enough to stumble upon the Richualist, the ultimate all-in-one hair tool designed to speed up your haircare routine.
Sounds good, so what is it?
The Richualist combines warming, detangling, and conditioning functions into one sleek device. Say goodbye to tangled hair and hello to smooth, nourished locks with just one simple tool.
Nice, so how does it work?
It gently warms your hair conditioner, oils, or gels to the perfect temperature for optimal hair penetration and hydration. This not only saves time, it also enhances the effectiveness of your haircare products, leaving your curls soft, easy to manage, and radiant.
By streamlining your wash day routine, reducing shedding, and catering specifically to the tightest coils, the Richualist is a serious game-changer.
Orders will begin shipping out in September 2024, so you can get more information about the product here, and if you do get it, then let us know what you think!
🤔 Question box
We want you to take the lead with our next set of podcasts by submitting your questions to our team.
🎧 Coming up next…
Finally, here’s the next set of episodes we have planned. Save them in your calendar…
Episode 4 – Sadja Monet – 12th June
Episode 5 - Anthony Dickey - 26th June
See you in the next episode!
From,
The Mane Hook-Up team
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