Where Are They Now: Kamilah Dunbar, Vidal Sassoon 2016 Basic Scholarship Winner

“My braids are allowing me to make an impact from my own little corner of the world”

We caught up with Kamilah Dunbar, Vidal Sassoon 2016 Basic Scholarship Winner, to see what she’s up to and how her career in the Beauty Industry is going.

Tell me about your career today. My work on Instagram @MsHairandHumor has really opened up doors to work with photographers, beauty editors and even clients as a freelance hairstylist. I’ve carved out a niche in braids – and recently had a client travel all the way from Tennessee to New York just to have me do her hair!

What made your client travel hundreds of miles for a service? In the African American community, braids are a big deal. But there can be a lot of pain involved due to the tension on the hair. People can literally be brought to tears. My approach to braids takes the pain out of the process. Word is getting out! I recently did braids for a beauty editor at Essence magazine.

How do you keep learning and growing as an artist? Well, this weekend, I’m traveling to Las Vegas for an intensive wig seminar focused on ventilation. I don’t just want to sew wigs – I want to learn how to ventilate them and make them comfortable for clients. Again, it’s about taking the pain out of beauty!

How did winning a Beauty Changes Lives Change Your Life?

The Beauty Changes Lives Vidal Sassoon Scholarship has changed my life and my clients’ lives. Every day, I am able to change lives through hairstyling, using the education and skills I gained through beauty school. The most important part of my time working with a client focuses on education. I would not have been equipped with the knowledge to help my clients without my education. Beauty Changes Lives played a huge part in making that possible.Today, my braids are allowing me to make an impact – and change lives – from my own little corner of the world here in Brooklyn!