Hairstylist could teach a masterclass on styling the strands of powerful women who meet at the intersection of beauty, pop culture, and politics. She’s worked with , Michelle Williams, , Kandi Burruss, and Cynthia Bailey, just to name a few. However, her most VIP client to date, is .
Damtew is the architect behind some of the former . When Obama rocked her natural hair for the cover of in 2020, she made sure her ringlets were coiffed just right. The picture-perfect layers Obama sported during her book tour was made possible thanks to the stylist’s soft touch.
And those voluminous curls that turned heads at Joe Biden’s inauguration? Yes, Damtew did that! She discovered her love for hairdressing at a young age, taking on her first “clients” as a middle schooler and then enrolling in Cerritos Cosmetology School at just 16. “My earliest memory is using Sun-In to lighten my hair during the summer, mirroring the natural lightening effect from swimming,” Damtew tells ESSENCE. “I remember secretly using my allowance to buy the product at the local drugstore.
” While Damtew paused her cosmetology studies to pursue a traditional college career, she completed beauty school in 2009. Shortly thereafter, the California native moved to Washington D.C.
to work alongside Michelle Obama’s then-hairstylist, , who introduced her to the first family. When she isn’t creating looks for Mrs. Obama, former President Barack Obama, or A-listers, you can find Damtew behind the chair.