In the high-stakes world of celebrity hairstyling, where every curl is scrutinized by millions and each style must withstand the heat of stage lights and the flash of countless cameras, Dior Sovoa stands out as an artist who transforms hair into pure magic. As Mariah Carey’s trusted hairstylist, Sovoa has mastered the delicate balance between maintaining an icon’s signature look and pushing creative boundaries. But beyond the glamour of working with music’s biggest stars, he carries a deeper message about embracing natural beauty and cultural pride.
From his early days in Washington, DC to becoming one of New York’s most sought-after stylists, Sovoa’s philosophy transcends mere aesthetics. He approaches each client’s hair as a canvas for transformation, whether he’s crafting looks for Patti LaBelle’s stage performances or helping everyday clients rediscover their confidence through embracing their natural texture. In this intimate conversation, Sovoa shares his journey, creative process, and passionate advocacy for celebrating the unique beauty of Black hair in all its forms.
[Editor’s note: This is a truncated transcription of a longer video interview. Please see the video for the extended version. Some errors may occur.]
When you first started working with celebrities and image makers, how did you know their hair needed to be art versus just a style?
Because celebrities are not the everyday woman. Their hair, it’s being photographed in all different directions versus a lady who’s just going to the salon, getting a silk press, a couple of curls, or a blowout, and just going about their day. These are people who’s going to be photographed all over the world and it’s going to be judged. So, you have to make sure that their hair is seen in a different light.
How do you discuss creating styles for celebrities when they have their own vision?
Well, first I love to talk with the makeup artists and the stylists to see what they’re wearing. We try to collaborate on our visions together to make sure that when she is photographed, that there is a pow-wow moment. So, for me, I’m always trying to have conversations with the stylist to see what she’s going to wear. Depending upon what she’s going to wear, that’s how I’m going to take their hair into that lane of more volume, more curls, less curls, straights, wavy or curly raw hair.
When we’re on vacation too, I love to do more of a curly, raw-you look because her fans love that. And when her hair gets wet, it’s going to get curly anyway.
What are your plans for Mariah’s Christmas style this year?
So, for this year, we’ve done a lot of switch-ups already, but I’m keeping it in a realm of the classic wavy curly, just adding more volume to it and changing up the color a little bit this year so that it stands out more. We wanted to keep it rich. We wanted to give a little bit more golden bloom when the show first started. We do outfit changes throughout the show as well. If you look at the show, I first start with a little volume and then I smooth it down on the second set.
And then as the show progresses, it gets more volume. So, I just go with the look and taking into consideration what’s going to look best on the screen and what’s being photographed.
How do you work with Mariah to create looks that will be captured by millions of cell phones?
You have to know what’s best for your face. Some women can’t take a lot of volume. Some people have a rounder face. For me, people who have squabble faces are the best at having more volume in their hair because it rounds out their face a little bit more. With her, she has her 500 hours as a hairstylist as well. So, I let her collaborate with me. With me and MC, I just be like, “You know, I think we should go a little bit more volume.”
And she’s like, “Oh, why not?” Most of the time, I’m right because I’m the hairstylist. But there is that 20% chance that she is right sometimes. So, I’ll give her that.
How important is collaboration when working with another artist?
I think that’s at the top of the list. You definitely should be able to collaborate. If you’re not able to trust in the person that you’re working alongside, then there is some miscommunication there. I will always tell artists, have no problem speaking up for yourself because I know a lot of artists are also afraid to speak their mind and say, “Hey, I don’t think this goes with the look.” With my team, thankfully, we all understand each other and we all have no malicious intent.
We’re all looking out for the best interests of each person because we want everybody to get the same recognition.
What should people know about the value of color in hair transformation?
The value of color is the value of transformation, I always say. You can become anybody with the right fresh color and a brand-new attitude. I’ve seen women who’ve been in the most depressed state along my career and with a fresh color, they have transformed, they have came out of their shell, they have become somebody else. They’ve been free like a phoenix, they’ve risen.
Those are the things that’s taken into consideration. Like you don’t have to stay in one lane. This is 2024 where things are changing up. Switch things up and see what works best for you and go talk to a hair colorist who’s going to understand because you might have black hair, but auburn looks good on you because of your skin complexion.
What makes traveling the world influence your styling vision?
Wow, that’s a really good question. With seeing the world, you get to see different art forms, and you see how other people live, and you see their style, and you just like to mix it up. You get to see what’s trending in all different countries. So, you also wanna collaborate and bring in your American style mixed with the countries that you’ve been along and tangled and twined with. When you go to Africa, you’re seeing all different types of creative braids and all different types of updos.
When you go to the DR, you see a lot of women with lots of different layers and balayages. Those are just things that you take into consideration, and you wanna Americanize with yourself, but you also wanna take in their art form and know that’s a part of their culture.
How do you challenge yourself to make each day and each canvas fresh?
Wow. So, for me, I am a person who definitely loves going to classes. So, I’m always upping my skill. I’m always trying to learn new tricks and always pushing myself past the limits. Because hair is always changing, it’s forever changing, and there’s always new techniques out here. And to keep up with the masses, I think that’s something that you have to do. I’ve seen my aunts are hairstylists.
I have a lot of family that’s hairstylists, and they don’t know a quick weave from a glueless set or a curl set from a jury curl. And these are things that you need to know as time evolves. As evolution continues, you have to evolve with the hair that’s ever-changing.
What would you tell young Black students about embracing their natural hair?
The title would be “Embracing,” because as African-American, we were taught that our hair wasn’t beautiful, it wasn’t the norm, it wasn’t the texture. Our hair is the only hair that grows up towards the sky, Black people. Our hair is the only hair that can do that. No other hair can do that. Our hair is unique in its own as it is. Love your hair and love the way that it is because God gave it to you for a reason.
We’re the only people that can withstand braids, so much color, so much tension pulled on our hair. We’ve been through the most. The ringer. Our hair can be straight, and it still looks like it’s beautiful, look like the healthiest it’s ever been.
What advice do you have for those afraid to embrace their natural hair?
We’re in a new time and era where natural is beauty. When you go to different countries, you could just see people with their natural hair more. I think it’s more been popularized in American culture that our hair isn’t beautiful, and I think that’s what the issue is. Your natural hair is beautiful, and there’s so many things you can do with it. So why not embrace it and understand it? We’re not the norm. We weren’t put on this earth to be normal.
The pandemic helped a lot of people go natural because they weren’t able to make it to the salon. Thank God. Because I’m all here for a natural beauty. I love a person who just has their natural curls. It can get wet. You can straighten it and go back to its kinky pattern in three or four days later. At the end of the day, I always tell people the older we get, the thinner our hair gets. So, try to keep as much chemicals off of it as possible.
