I AM A DREAMER

My Birthday is today....... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

I am a dreamer, I dream a lot and most of my dreams come true because along with dreaming I take action, so for the next 364 days I will be working hard toward one of my biggest and most consistent dreams which is to design and develop a successful clothing brand. I know that in writing my dreams down, sending it out to the universe, working hard and being consistent... my dreams will manifest. I tell people constantly that you have to get up, get out and do something, anything, big or small that will lead you to your ultimate dream because every step leads you somewhere the key is to start stepping! Now my dream is not just about designing and developing my clothing brand. I also want a brick and mortar and online store, along with having the brand selling successfully in other stores,  Ive been a hairstylist for 23 years and its a labor of love BUT its labor.... I want all my love and passion to translate into a profitable business that will work for me while I am asleep, so heres to taking the first STEP (writing it down and sharing it with you) I will update my progress along the way and if you have any questions, comments or advice as always send me an email folliclesandfashion@gmail.com or send me a message on instagram @folliclesandfashion

Until next time Xx 

folliclesandFASHION spotlight

For many years I have listened and then watched Wendy Williams first on radio then everyday on her nationally syndicated talk show bearing her name, and over the years I have watched her experiment with different hairstyles and I have to say that Wendy has really evolved in the Wig department. Wendy’s late “Wig-ologist” or ‘Wig” as she lovingly called Antoine Jackson was amazing at giving Wendy hair that fit her style and personality (Antoine passed away in 2016). The question became who could step up and continue with the evolution of the “Wig”? Enter Robyn Michele or “Wiggy” as Wendy affectionately refers to her. 

folliclesandFASHION had the chance  to talk with Robyn and get the inside scoop on who she is, where she came from and where she is going.. in this Wig Wig world :-)

fF. Hi Robyn, Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, lets start with Where are you from?

RM. 
I am from Central Jersey, I’ve moved away, but have since returned to raise my son here and be with my mother she is literally the help of a whole village and one of my best friends.

fF.  When did you know you wanted to be a hairstylist? and are you licensed or just formally trained in wig making?

RM. 
Initially I didn’t I was in Fashion, I started doing hair in or around 2000 after receiving multiple bad weave jobs I would sit and draw out various braid patterns that would help achieve a flat install and I would then go to an African Hair Braiding salon to have them braid according to my design and then I would go home and sew it in. I taught myself how to install extensions and not long after my friends and friends of their friends would come and have me do theirs. I would meet them at the hair braiding salons to have their hair braided before bringing them back to my house to sew their hair in. I learned how to braid years later.

My career in fashion stopped when the economy fell in 2008. I was pregnant at the time with my son Aidan so I did what I knew how to do and started letting people know I was available to do weaves. Later that year I moved to Georgia and placed an ad on Craigslist to do sew-ins and eventually sourced hair from India and started to retail it. Overtime I saw that I was far more invested in hair than I ever expected, I would go to Barnes and Noble to read through International fashion and hair magazines to see what styles, tools and products they were using. I was completely inspired! I moved back to NJ in 2010 and decided to take the leap and enroll at Paul Mitchell and haven’t looked back since. So although initially self trained, I am Licensed and have taken various extension classes as well as classes specializing in wig making by hand and sewing machine.

fF. What would you say has been your "Mama Ive made it moment"

RM. 
My biggest hair moment to date would be the first day Wendy wore one of my custom Luxe Units tm that I created for her.

(Wendy Williams first show wearing a LUXE unit)

I remember being at home depressed, having anxiety attacks about posting my work on Instagram, crying and just praying for God to help me push myself enough to continue to mange the few orders I would get per month. Fast forward to “Here’s Wendy!!!!!!” The doors open and Wendy walks through wearing a custom colored wig that I made, Something I meticulously created on my sewing machine, considering every detail, Something that I was struggling to share on social media for lack of popularity and likes… yet here I am with my work being seen in over 50 countries on a nationally syndicated show and worn by a woman known for her love and daily usage of wigs.

Wendy in a sleek bob  and Textured LUXE unit

My God! I”m still teary eyed thinking of it. I didn’t even pray for this… my prayers weren’t big enough. Grateful that God saw me worthy!

fF. 5 things in your hair/wig kit you cant live without?

RM.

5 things I can’t live without in my hair kit:

Want to know the truth? There’s nothing that I swear by as of yet .

I use babyliss tools and h2pro at the moment. I also like some of IGk products, but I use a mixture of a lot of things. It’s not like I will freak  out if I leave my fave hairspray and have to run and grab another. I make pretty much whatever work.

NAMASTE Wendy in a loose wave LUXE unit

fF. Working for such a big personality like Wendy Williams in a busy city like New York, do you have a morning ritual to help you start your day? or a calming one for the end of the night? 

RM.

My morning ritual is to be silent, or listen to some praise music or a sermon. I like to think and process my day.

I pray with my son before he goes to school and having my coffee is a MUST.

We always end our day with prayer as well. He is really gonna be a prayer warrior when he grows up. I’m pretty proud of that.
fF. Best advice you've ever gotten? and best advice to pass along?

RM.

The best advice I’ve ever gotten is to be about what you say you are about. It was from a fashion stylist years ago when, He said one of the worse things you can do is to hype your skill set up to get a job, but when you get the job you can’t live up to it.

Best advice I can give someone is to learn how to see you the way God sees you. Develop an intimate relationship with Him and let him lead you. Balance is so important to me, but having that relationship with God can give you peace and balance in the most disruptive and unsteady situations. Lastly, to not be celeb focused. Worry about being great and innovative and let your character and skill set position you. Celebrity clientele is one part of the equation. There’s so much more to being viewed as successful.

The best advice I’ve ever gotten is to be about what you say you are about. It was from a fashion stylist years ago when, He said one of the worse things you can do is to hype your skill set up to get a job, but when you get the job you can’t live up to it.
 fF. What's on the list for you Robyn? Whats next?
RM.

What’s next for me is my wig line with The Wig Haus. I am proud to create a home for my Luxe Units, Also being an Educator, Brand ambassador, Employer, Mental health advocate, Makeup artist, Wardrobe stylist, Home decor and more lol. This year has been about taking the limits off. Whatever I can do and whatever GOD wants me to do.... That is what you will see me doing.

“I love hair in general, whether working with wigs or a clients own hair. However, I do have a deeper love for wigs and hairpieces because I love that I can give my clients exactly what they want, even if that’s not what they have”.

                                                                                                                                          Robyn Michele

You can find out more about Robyn here;  http://www.robynmichelebeauty.com/

and follow her journey on instagram https://www.instagram.com/robynmichelebeauty/?hl=en

The Spotlight - Oscar James

Oscar James
   
As a black hairstylist from Harlem trying to make it in this beauty industry, I didn't always see inspiration on the "front lines"... my glam role models were the hairstylists working besides me in the salon or in my neighborhood and they were probably thee BEST inspiration a hairstylist can get, but my dreams were bigger than the salon and I knew that I had sooo much to offer the beauty industry and so I've always done the research to seek out other black glam artist to see how and what  they were doing to make it happen in this industry, so the folliclesandFashion spotlight is my way to say Thank You to all the artists who inspired and continue to give me inspiration, because I am constantly on a journey for more.

Todays spotlight Oscar James has been on my radar since the 90's because I would often wonder about the Glam artists behind the models and celebrities I would see on TV and in magazines and Oscar James' name would often come up, along with Sam Fine, Ellen LaVar, Chucky Amos and others that will get their spotlight on folliclesandFASHION.


Oscar James has been honing his skills since his high school days where he attended high school and beauty school simultaneously, after moving to New York and working in some of the finest salons Oscar started making connections that would take his Hairstyling career on a journey.

Vanessa Williams

Tyra Banks

Iman

Oscar has done Models and Celebrities and has been featured in Vogue, ELLE, Essence and Cosmo to name a few 

The Journey for Oscar James wasn't always high, there was a point in his career where he followed the  advice of others and opened a salon in his hometown of South Carolina which didn't turn out to be the greatest idea, and so Oscar closed down and came back to New York at the age of 40 to "start over again" and I have to say it takes a lot of courage to begin again...

If you ever wondered who helped Nicki Minaj transform her image from cartoon to couture you have found your answer! Oscar James is the creative behind the transformation, and I must say it was a good one :-) as an artist you want to bring out the best in the person you're working with and Oscar was able to merge creativity with reality  

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj

Oscar James' journey is one of many examples that you're never too old to start over again 

We = Me at folliclesandFashion Luv Oscar James and sprinkle confetti over his path of continued success in all his business and personal endeavors ;-) 

 keep up with Oscar and follow his journey on instagram 

www.instagram.com/oscarjameshair

Obsessed

Im completely inLuv.... 

Green Addiction

Im so obsessed with green hair

Random Awesomeness

Garage Magazine

Accessory Addict

iLuv a good hair accessory! especially headbands and barrettes when they have  some edge to them, Ive never been the flowered headband type of girl, that is  unless it has black jewel encrusted flowers on it. I'm obsessed with these barrettes from http://www.luvaj.com/

iLuv the studded detail

 Sleek studded sophistication

 Usually I say do one studded item at a time so you don't look like you belong in a 1980's rock band but this combo works! Simple stud bobby pins give the hair some edge, but doesn't compete with this Ahmazing  studded leather jacket that I'm drooling over.....iLUV

Gabrielle Corney - Follicles Spotlight

 Gabrielle Corney, Hairstylist to the stars is in the  "SPOTLIGHT" with folliclesandFASHION

With over 20 years in the industry, Gabrielle Corney is the go to stylist for  some of the hottest celebrities on reality TV, she is also part of a creative team for brands such as, Indique and Carols Daughter while maintaining a successful clientele in her midtown suite.

This Queens girl and lover of the arts fell head over heels at an early age, but started her haircare journey as a receptionist at Vidal Sassoon in the late 90’s  when it was the iconic Apple building on 60th and Fifth avenue. Gabrielle soon took her skills, passion and exceptional customer service into the world of freelance where she landed a job for G units songbird Olivia, with whom she traveled the world beautifying. 

Since the early days of her career Gabrielle has been featured in numerous publications from Vibe to InStyle and her work has graced the screens of networks like VH1, MTV and BET. 

I caught up with Gabrielle (Gabbi) for coffee and conversation about her favorite products, hair care tips, building a brand and of course what it's like to be a MELANIN girl in the folliclesandFASHION world.

folliclesandFASHION: Gabbi, I know you have done plenty of interviews and most likely get asked the same questions, so for this one I would like to do some candid questions is that ok?

Gabbi: Of course! I'm always down for a little fun

folliclesandFASHION: OK, here we go - CURLY of STRAIGHT HAIR?

Gabbi: Ummm CURLY... then again STRAIGHT... (laughing) listen sometimes a girl wants to be curly and sometimes she wants it straight (referring to herself)

folliclesandFASHION: I completely understand that... now TOPKNOT or PONYTAIL?

Gabbi: PONYTAIL... I just did a textured ponytail on Kandi that was super cute and recently gave June Ambrose a topknot with a full bang that was super cute as well lol.

Kandi Burruss

June Ambrose

folliclesandFASHION: Yes, yes and yes! I saw that, and iLuved them both you're such a versatile stylist, at first glance I thought you only did natural hair but that's totally not it.

Gabbi: Yeah Im a lover of hair, natural or relaxed... as long as its healthy but if its not I can help get it there. 

folliclesandFASHION: BLONDE OR BRUNETTE?

Gabbi: BOTH, Blondes have more fun, but Dark is lovely.

folliclesandFASHION: iLuv that! CHOPPY or BLUNT? 

Gabbi: Choppy

folliclesandFASHION: Bad hair day go to SCARF or HAT?

Gabbi: SCARF, but that's only once in a while....you can do so much with it! like make it into a headband, tie it into a bow or wear it as a turban. 

folliclesandFASHION: OK, lets switch it up, Ill start the sentence and you finish it with whatever comes to mind. Its ok to...

Gabbi: Be a masterpiece while under construction

folliclesandFASHION: iLUV when....

Gabbi: People are authentically who they are... (and also when my coffee is light and sweet, just like me) laughing

folliclesandFASHION: After a long day...

Gabbi: I unplug, unwind, replay and recharge.

folliclesandFASHION: iLUV ... (I may need to follow that) :-) I wake up and....

Gabbi: PRAY.....and then I put the coffee on.

folliclesandFASHION: When I drink coffee...

Gabbi: It brings back memories of time spent with my granny the act of brewing it.. the smell of it.... makes me smile, #itsDeeperthantaste

folliclesandFASHION: I love traditions big or small... these are the things that keep us forever connected to family. Now lets talk haircare, what are some of your go to products.

Gabbi; There are so many good products on the market, but Im going to give you my staples and these products never change for me.

 Aloe

Coconut oil

Liquid Vitamin E

Olive Oil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc5OKZvAg8g

folliclesandFASHION: Great, now can you give us a Haircare tip?

Gabbi: You should wash your hair ties or bonnets as often as you shampoo your hair.

folliclesandFASHION: Advice you want to share on building a brand?

 Gabbi: LOVE what you do, because it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

 The same way it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a team or network to build a brand  Your brand is a representation of you.

 Also play nice in the sandbox, the world is a small town

folliclesandFASHION: Any input on the being a Melanin girl in this industry?

                                       Gabbi; Know that your Melanin is ahmazing!!!!!

To stay connected to Gabbi click the link below

http://www.gabriellecorney.com/

https://www.instagram.com/gabriellecorney/?hl=en

The Spotlight

Ever wonder about the GLAM artist behind your favorite artist? Like who’s idea was it to put Zendaya on the red carpet for Oscars with the Faux Locs that created a media firestorm afters E!’s fashion police Guiliana Rancics, off hand, untrue and offensive comments! Or which stylist is responsible for Solanges break the internet “ Stephanie Rolland” white pantsuit worn for her “I Do” to music director Alan Ferguson?? Solange later dropped our jaws further when she changed into a white gown and cape by “Humberto Leon” for Kenzo, posing for the most tweeted and instagrammed wedding formation ever. Well if you have wondered about any of this then FolliclesandFashion is here and on the Quest to bring you answers, each week we will shine the spotlight on the glam industries hot, fresh and "Notable" black talent in hair and fashion, with Q and A’s about their journeys, career highlights, lessons learned, Video interviews, stylist tips, and the hottest trends in hair and fashion.