Meet South Atlanta Hair Stylist and Braider: Evony Jackson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Evony Jackson.

Evony, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was about 12 years old I started really hating my hair, I would fuss and cry because my hair could not be tamed due to the fact that it was so thick. This, in turn, caused me to feel insecure about my own hair. One day while in class we were instructed to choose a poem that which reflected ourselves and then present it to the class. The poem that caught my eye and reflected me most was Maya Angrlo’s poem Phenomenal Woman. I recited it over and over again to myself…

“It’s the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman,
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me”.

At that moment I knew that my hair was going to be my signature and I had to make sure to care for it!

My granny would do my hair and there were phases when I had to get a lot of treatments to my hair in order to help my hair grow. She would use all these different old remedies and it actually fascinated me that those old natural remedies worked. My foster sister Terri, along with my foster Grandmother’s granddaughter Donisha, both always braided my hair for school pictures and events. I found braiding to be intriguing and wanted to learn how they did this magic that turned this natural, damaged, thick hair into this natural and healthy looking braids. I was so intrigued that I would sit and watch them both do other friends hair and I would ask to even help with anything I could to stay and watch them. I Was so fascinated with hair that for my 13th birthday I asked my mother Calanthe, for a mannequin head from the neighborhood cosmetology schools to practice learning how to braid. I would stay up nights asking for just one more hour to spend learning different styles and critiquing my braids. My friends then became my hair models and by the time I was 15, I was doing hair all over my neighborhood and at school. I then figured by then this was my talent! I did hair as a side job all through high school and while attending Tuskegee University. I even started my first job working in a barbershop “Snowballs” with other male college students which was a very good experience. While at “Snowballs” I began networking and I got cards made for the first time which gave me a great sense of accomplishment! Once I graduated from T.U. I moved to Atlanta and I knew this was the place for stylist and you had to network in order to gain clientele as I was informed that the hair and beauty industry was very competitive. I then asked myself “Are you going to just be about the money or are you going to actually care for your client’s hair? I then decided to do research on natural hair products and different ways to make hair grow and maintain it. I remembered my own philosophy which is, “Treat your hair as if it’s another organ in your body”. As I attended nursing school while here school in Atlanta, I decided to really get my name out there with hair since I enjoyed this as my job. I was offered a booth in Salon Ramsey Midtown which was another good experience and great networking place for hairstylists. Though it was a good experience for six months, I realized I needed to focus on Nursing. I then left the shop but still did hair between classes and studying but at home. I turned one of my rooms into my workstation for hair. Now I do hair from home and have had over 100 clients. I currently do Braids, Faux Locs, Sew-ins, Marley Twist, and Cornrows. I take pride in doing a clients hair. I use natural products from brands such as Shea Moisture, Jamaican black castor oil, Carol’s daughter, etc. I want every client to leave my chair happy and well satisfied. I must give credit to social media. I ask all my new clients how did they hear about me and estimated 75 percent of my clients found me through Instagram, 25 percent from facebook and Styleseat and the other 25 percent from referrals. Once I complete Nursing school I plan on opening my own shop in my hometown California and Atlanta

Has it been a smooth road?
When I was offered a booth in Salon Ramsey Midtown which was another good experience and great networking place for hairstylists. Though it was a good experience for six months, I realized I wasn’t into just making the money and my prices were nothing compared to other stylist but I was fine with that because it’s not just a job to me its a passion and I needed to focus on nursing during that time . I then left the shop to save money and be in the comfort of my own space, but still did hair between classes and studying but at home which is still convenient for my clients. I believe every stylist has their slow times of the month which are sometimes not the best when it’s your main source of income but honestly those are my best times to come out the struggle and do specials on styles which also helps you receive more clientele so even though times get hard I always find a way to bounce back.

Has there been people or an institution that has played a pivotal role in your career?
There are three extraordinary women who influenced me in doing hair, first off is my foster sister Terri and my foster cousin Donisha. I grew up watching them both braiding not only my hair but also girls and women in our neighborhood. Every one of their clients always left our house happy and satisfied and I remember thinking I want to be able to do that.

The final woman who played a pivotal role in my decision to want to do hair is my current hairstylist back in Compton, CA is stylist Dajauna. I can remember going to her house when I was 11 yrs old and getting my hair done when she was in cosmetology school. She would experiment all kinds of hairstyles on me and I loved it. I would always go home and do some of those same styles on my mannequin. I thank God for these women as they encouraged me and showed me how to braid and do hair.

What type of clients or projects do you look forward to most?
I’ve always wanted to put together an event in a park or a public place where hairstylist, fashion designers, and makeup artist gather to show youth who aspire to fulfill their dreams in becoming one of the above. Show them the ends and outs and encourage them to pursue their goals. The one celebrity that I would love to work with is Alicia Keyes. She is the one and only celebrity who inspired me to learn how to braid, I started really getting interested in braids when I was 13 and after seeing her video in 2001 off her Songs of a Minor album, “Fallin”. Her braids blew me away. After Seeing more videos that she had braids in like “How come you don’t call me”, “A woman’s Worth”, and don’t let me forget 2003 album “Diary of Alicia Keys”. I was also amazed with the style of her braids on her album/cd cover “In the Key of Life”. That look was cool and classic and represented the black women and I just remembered thinking, dang I want to learn how to do that. And that is just what I did.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Upon completion of high school I was interested in attending cosmetology school but did not. I know now that while in high school I could have achieved this goal while obtaining my high school diploma as well and still go on to obtain my Bachelors in Biology at Tuskegee University.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.styleseat.com/evonyjackson
• Phone: 3109023529
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Natural_loving_hair
• Facebook: Evony’s Imprints