Honing his craft in Gainesville led hairdresser Antoinette Black has achieved success beyond imagination in the entertainment industry.
Blacks received this year a Emmy hairstyling award nomination for her work on the FOX network show “So You Think You Can Dance.”
The black appointment was in the “Outstanding Hairstyle for a Variety, Non-Fiction or Reality Program” category. The eventual winner was “Saturday Night Live.”
“I’m so honored, and as I sat in the crowd, I thought, ‘This is nothing but God’ for a little girl who grew up in a small town in North Carolina and was raised in foster care,” Black said.
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Her nomination was for her work as a hairstylist for Comfort Fedoke, an award-winning dancer and choreographer who played several roles in “So You Think You Can Dance,” Black said.
Her success is because she honed her craft, took many courses, and always dedicated herself to learning more and improving her skills, as well as being dependable, dependable, and professional at all times, Black said.
Working on productions involves working 12-hour days, including waking up at 4 or 5 a.m. to go to the set, Black said.
“You stay with your actor all day,” Black said.
Black became a licensed hairstylist in 1999 after earning his cosmetology degree from the College of Central Florida in Ocala.
“I was doing hair before I got a license,” said Black, who in the past has served as a mentor helping others become licensed professional hair stylists.
“I’m really proud to educate stylists on the importance of continuing to educate themselves, because this industry changes daily and styles change, so we need to stay tuned to what’s new in the industry ” Black said in an article published in the Gainesville Guardian in 2013 before launching a “Stylist Boot Camp” to educate stylists about natural hair care.
Working in the entertainment industry had always been one of Black’s ambitions, and she jumped at the chance when one of her classmates at the College of Central Florida contacted her, Black said.
“It was always a dream I had,” Black said.
Since entering the entertainment hair industry in 2018, Black said she has worked on more than 30 projects in Atlanta and has met and gotten to know many stars in the entertainment industry.
Her niche is natural hair, dreadlocks, textured hair and braids, said Black, who formerly owned the multicultural hair care center A Nu Twist in Gainesville. After moving to Atlanta to work in the entertainment industry, Black passed down his salon to one of his protégés, who now runs the business as “Crowns of Glory Studios” at 1031 NW Sixth St. in Gainesville.
When she’s not working in Atlanta, Black said she works at “Crowns of Glory Studios” and does hair for her VIP clients in Gainesville.
Her future goals include progressing in the industry to become a hairstylist, working in other countries and striving to “reach out and bring other people into the industry,” Black said.
Her advice to emerging hairdressers who want to progress in the industry is to work hard, be dependable, dependable and professional, and hone their craft by constantly learning and keeping up to date with what’s happening in the industry, Black said.
“You can do it,” Black said. “It all depends on who you know and your work ethic. You must introduce yourself.
A hairstylist who doesn’t show up on time or at all to a production set can stop the entire production from moving forward, leading to delays and many other problems, Black said.
“You have to be on time and on site when you’re supposed to be,” Black said.
Her success and accomplishments in the hair industry are due to her love of providing service to a wide range of people, although her primary focus is natural hair care, Black said.
“It’s very important for us to embrace the hair that grows on our head because it’s great for self-esteem,” Black said. “We can manipulate our hair in many ways and this is a way for us to embrace our culture and who we are.”
That being said, Black said professional hairstylists must be able to style all hair types to advance in the industry.
“You have to be able to do all hair textures, and I can do all hair types,” Black said.