When did your interest in hair design begin?
When I was younger I used to do all my friends for the prom, parties and events and the cool girls would ask me to do their hair in hair in school as well. So naturally, I joined hair school and it was on from there!

What was your biggest break as a professional hair stylist?
When I met Puffy and he was just getting BAD BOY started and he put me with Mary J. Blidge and Faith Evans. They were my first celebrity clients…and he would have me do all the girls on his label… that’s what exacted me about my own future in doing celebrities.

What hair styles are you best known for?
I am known for doing lots of edgy cuts and signature looks…”makeovers” are my favorite.

Can you tell us about your experience working at the Warren Tricomi Los Angeles Salon?
Working at Warren Tricomi Los Angeles was a dream come true. As an artist, it’s influenced my creativity as well as my styling techniques, not to mention going to work is such a pleasure.

What have been some of your most memorable celebrity collaborations?
Working with CHAKA KHAN was one of my most exciting, fun experiences. Also, as you all know, working with Tyra was such an innovative experience, traveling, meeting people, and just having adapting the relationship with Tyra alone was just extremely rewarding. I’ve learned so much in working with her and the Tyra show team.

You have styled Tyra Banks hair and we love it! What is the secret for Tyra’s beautiful hair?
Well, of course a girl never tells her beauty secrets, but many of Tyra’s styles were created from her inspiration for either the top model season, award shows, or just me suggesting” hey Tyra lets do something super hot this season” and she is always super open about trying something new for
the season…”

You have received two Daytime Emmy Awards for styling. What does it take to win such an award?
Well it took lots of long hours, consistency in her hairstyling and it always helps to have a great model like Tyra to wear your hair well. She was really good at wearing my styles. She had a pretty signature look, with the brown and blond color tones and long layers, we pretty much never really strayed from that. You always have to be able to keep up with the talent, their schedule gets really crazy and you have to be able to hang in there for sometimes long periods of time.

To what do you attribute your successful career as a hair stylist?
You have to know how to fit right in with these celebrities, their busy lives and definitely know how to get the job done. Also, be really good at your work and be really adaptable to pressure and last minute changes. Your life definitely comes after the job is done. Never tell the client it can’t be done, you have to always figure out how to make it work and make time to fit them in.

If given the chance, how would you improve the ethnic hair care market?
I want to become the first African American woman to change the image of how our market is represented. Also, be able to give people the knowledge on how to treat and care bad hair. I want to give women a solution, on how to maintain their hair because it’s all tied in to a woman’s self esteem and how she presents herself. Hair can really change a woman’s image and appearance. I want to bring awareness to people with all kinds of textured hair globally. There are so many people with all types of texture to their hair, therefore, my products would catered to everyone with any type of curl, wave, frizz, or kink. I will help change people’s lives by bring knowledge to them in the field I’m best at…

What simple tips can you give us for treating textured hair or African American hair?
Texture hair is always in need of moisture, conditioning, and a good stylist who understands their hair type. Most stylists are not trained to understand our hair, so a lot of Caucasian stylist will turn them away.

Which hair care products and tools you just can’t live without?
My FHI FLAT IRON, MY WAX STICK, AND MY GREAT ASSISANT.

What’s next for Kiyah Wright?
I am in a developmental stage, where I do my own texture hair product line. I want to be the spokesperson and really be able to bring awareness and knowledge to woman, men and children in the whole hair care industry.

It was a pleasure to interview Kiyah to see more of her portfolio click here.

The official Warren Tricomi website: www.warrentricomi.com