Stylist Spotlight: Felicia Leatherwood

Jill Scott. Teyonah Parris. Kim Coles. These beautiful, talented women grace red carpets with such style, not to mention gorgeous hair. Meet the talent behind said gorgeousness, Los Angeles native, celebrity natural hair stylist and creator of the Loving Your Hair with Natural Care Workshop, Felicia Leatherwood.

I had a chance to chat with Felicia on the phone last week as she was doing what she does best. Even with hands full of shampoo, she took a few minutes out of her busy day to speak with me a bit about her career, her journey and her love for hair care…

One of the first things I’m always curious to find out from stylists is how long they’ve had an interest in hair. “Oh, wow. I’ve always liked hair”, Felicia reminisces, “even as a small child, from about nine years old.” So, one might wonder, ‘how do ya go from a little girl discovering her flair for hair to a celebrity stylist beautifying the manes of some of the biggest names in the biz’? “Well, living in LA, you know, it’s an entertainment town, so you kind of grow up around having access to people in the industry.” For example, Felicia explains that she has known actress Regina King since the days of Boyz in da Hood. “I’d be out and about and people would ask who did my hair and of course I would tell them I did. You start doing the hair of up and coming people who go on to become big stars.” I’m definitely in the wrong city! LOL

It was interesting to learn that Felicia has been natural just about all her life. “I played with a relaxer for like a year, maybe”. She is all natural and lovin’ it honey! “The confidence that I have every time I put on an outfit, I feel so authentic within myself! When I’m complimented, I know it’s not really because of anything I put on but because of my confidence”. But being natural has had its challenges… “you’ll find some Black men in Hollywood who wanna express their opinion or make the occasional comment that they’d prefer straight hair.” But that hasn’t stopped her from being who she is! “I’ve always been able to find my style, my niche.”

We then get into talking about her baby, Loving Your Hair With Natural Care Workshops. “It started in 2010 in LA with about 21 guests and has reached anywhere from 300-1000 people attending”. For the past couple of years, Felicia has taken her invaluable workshops across the country and the globe, something the natural hair community definitely needed! “I was feeling passionate about what we were dealing with in the community with our hair”, Felicia explains. “I traveled a lot and was surprised to see so many black women straightening their hair and bleaching their skin. So my goal was to educate!” In the early stages, the workshop attracted women who were in that transition period but expanded to women who were already natural but wanted help. To meet their needs, Felicia has created a great segment called I’m Natural, Now What. “So it’s asking, ‘what else can I do with my hair?’ Do you have a good regimen to give you optimal care, growth and length? Do you understand porosity? There are lots of things we’re still not doing”!

For you ladies just beginning your natural hair journey, Felicia suggests scouring YouTube for inspiration and tips as well as attending meetups in your area and visiting natural hair blogs.

Shea Radiance, Komaza Care, Koils by Nature and Entwine Couture are among Felicia’s list of go-to brands. She also raved about The Clarifying Shampoo by Nothing But Hair Care and HairVeda’s Vatika Frosting Herb Infused Coconut Oil… “IT SMELLS LIKE CAKE”! she says LOL! Sounds yummy!

So, what’s new for the ‘Natural Hair Whisperer’? This weekend, for the second year in a row, Felicia brings the workshop to Paris *swoon* and as you would expect, the event is SOLD OUT! Also, on March 20^th, Ms. Leatherwood will be joining EDEN Bodyworks and other talented stylists here in NYC to help launch the brand’s new Coconut Shea Collection (word on the street is this event is also at capacity!) AND she’s looking forward to a fun time meeting more naturalistas and fashionistas on a curly girl cruise later in the year! Woosh! Busy, busy, busy!

“Well, lemme get on this hair!”, Felicia exclaimed as we wrapped up our brief, yet lively, convo. I could feel her bubbly personality shine through even over the phone. Can’t wait to meet her in person on the 20^th! MANY MANY THANKS and hugs and kisses to Felicia for taking the time to chat with me and doing such a great interview! 😉

You can find Felicia pretty much all over:

Twitter & Instagram: @LovingYourHair

www.lovingyourhairwithnaturalcare.com

www.facebook.com/LovingYourHair

Until next time curlies!

Xoxo

~Toia