How Michelle Obama Got Her Classic, Effortless DNC Hairstyle

From ELLE

Monday night at the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama radiated intelligence and grace as she declared her support for Hillary Clinton.

The First Lady also looked strong and beautiful. A key component of her look was the sleek, easy, and quietly glamorous soft waves she rocked on the podium, courtesy of her hairstylists, Johnny Wright-who has worked at Frederic Fekkai, and has been Artistic Director for L'Oreal for 15 years-and Yene Damtew, who began working with Wright straight out of school. The dynamic duo have been part of the FLOTUS glam squad for the past eight years.

I spoke to Wright and Damtew about Obama's DNC hair, how they came to work for the First Lady, their experiences working in the White House, and how their work has helped them to "touch history."

What look were you going for with the First Lady's DNC look?

JW: It's so funny when certain things she does get more exposure [than others]. We've been doing this look all this year. It hasn't really changed, other than that it grew a little longer, but I think it's effortless. I think it's classic, right on the edge of fashion. She's telling a few stories with that look. It's modern; it's fresh. It's a great style that compliments Yene's color very well. With the movement of the hair and the waves, you can see the color better, as opposed to if it was just straight.

What is the color in Mrs. Obama's hair?

YD:It's a custom color. She has a natural dark-brown base color with caramel highlights. People see color and they think, "I want that." And it's not something you're going to be able to just go to a store and get. When you think about a look, you have to customize it for that client. You have to take into consideration the health and integrity of their hair. The First Lady's hair is natural, healthy, and strong, so it's easy to play with color [for her].

JW: The technique is not just in custom coloring. It's also in hand painting, which is something Yene specializes in. She paints that color in the hair to really frame [Obama's] face and highlight certain parts of it. It's brilliant.

YD: That also goes back to the cut as well. After Johnny cuts her hair and gives her the shape, I'll go back in and place the color to accentuate the movement and showcase the cut.

How did you end up on Mrs. Obama's radar?

JW: I got hired to do her [hair] for an Essence photo shoot back in 2007, right after they announced that [Barack Obama was] running for the candidacy. We hit it off. Then I did her hair again for O Magazine. I moved to Los Angeles and started working at Fekkai, and while I was there, whenever she was on the west coast, her chief of staff would call me to keep her camera-ready for different events. And then, the [first] DNC happened, back in 2008, and that's when I did her hair from start to finish. So I was able to relive that [at Monday night's DNC].

Yene initially came to work with me as my assistant but she ended up being the First Daughters' hairstylist and Mrs. Obama's mom's hairstylist. When I first got here, I was doing everybody and it was a little overwhelming, especially with Mrs. Obama's schedule, so it made perfect sense for Yene to do the girls and her mom. So she's been working with them for the past eight years. And then this year, we were using this colorist out of New York who's fantastic, but [we had] a lot of scheduling issues. Yene grew a passion for coloring and we thought it was time for her to use her skills on the First Lady.

How has being the Obamas' stylists changed your life?

JW: Tremendously. At this point, I've been to over 35 countries with them and I've traveled the world. It's definitely opened my eyes a lot. I needed to learn about having a caution button. Being a hairstylist-being an artist and being creative-you typically have to speak from your heart and speak passionately. You're not always considering how that may affect other people. I've learned a lot from being around the First Family and the political world: Being able to edit myself and tune in to other people's feelings and thoughts and their impressions. I think that's a beautiful thing to learn.

I've learned a lot from being around the First Family and the political world

YD: One thing that Johnny always says is that we're literally touching history. And when I first started working with Johnny, I was 21. I was very scared. This experience has shown me how to be punctual. That's something that this job has taught us-you have to be punctual and respectful of people's time. It's definitely taught me a lot about being a businesswoman, about being an entrepreneur, and it's gotten me a lot more aware of what's going on in the world.

Can you share some of Michelle Obama's maintenance routine or any care tips?

JW: I don't talk about anything in particular because the products we use on our clients are their choices and I don't want to endorse those for them. I always tell people you can never over-condition your hair, especially with natural hair. Natural hair can be just as dry and brittle as chemically treated hair. It's stronger, but it can still break. So deep conditioning your hair every week is key.

Sitting under a steamer with your conditioner is important. The steamer is going to help open the cuticle even more and get that product into the hair shaft to maintain the integrity of the hairstyle. I'm the biggest fan of steam treatments, especially if you have color. It's going to keep that color vibrant and lasting long. Having proper shampoo and conditioners with natural ingredients is the best.

YD: I think the biggest thing that women forget is to seek a professional. We use products on them that we think are good and nourish their hair but there's this phenomenon where people think that all products work for them. Start having someone look at your hair regularly, getting your hair trimmed regularly, and nourishing your hair with steam and conditioning treatments. That's the only way you can promote healthy hair and hair growth.

This interview has been condensed and edited.