Self-Styled: Faatemah Ampey

Bella Salon/Spa stylist and North American Hairstyling Award winner Faatemah Ampey sets down her scissors and talks fashion.

Faatemah Ampey

Image credit: Eliesa Johnson

By: Mary O'Regan |   September 2009   |  From the print edition

Your jeans are crazy! Did you make them yourself?
Yeah, I did them myself. The denim is from Urban Outfitters, and I just took a pair of sweatpants and shredded them up and then sewed them on top.

Clever. Where do you shop?
My new favorite boutique is Bumbershute. One of my old favorites is Covered. Other than that I’m everywhere from Target to Via’s Vintage.

What are some different hairstyles you’ve had?
Curly is my signature look, but sometimes I do extensions and long and wavy. I’ve had the lopsided look in the Salt-n-Pepa days. I did a lot of bobs, like the one Victoria Beckham has.

Do you do all types of hair?
Yeah, I can do everything from coloring to cutting to extensions. My favorite thing to do is like a makeover.

What kind of makeovers have you done?
One of my favorites was actually for the North American Hairstyling Awards. One of the models was a blonde and as soon as I saw her, I thought she’d be a brilliant redhead. She’s like, “Well, I’m a model and this is kind of my signature look,” and I’m like, “I swear you’ll get more jobs if you’re this intense red.” She was like, “Well, you can do it, but then you have to make me blonde after the shoot.” We did it, and she loved it, and I’m so glad, because she was not going to be blonde after that.

You’re the stylist to a few local celebrities.
I do Robyn Robinson, Julia Cobbs from the Lori & Julia radio show, and Angela Davis from WCCO. I’ve done a lot of news anchors.

How much input do you have into a client’s hairstyle?
My standard consultation is, “What are the three things that I can’t do?” and then I listen to the first two. I haven’t had a bad experience yet.

No one’s ever left in tears?
No. I do a quick assessment of someone. I have to say okay, this person is conservative or this person is conservatively trendy. If a girl comes in and she’s like, “Cut my hair off. It’s what my boyfriend loved and we just broke up,” I’m not going to cut it off.

Where do you hang out in your off-time?
I’m a people watcher, so anyplace with a patio. I love Barrio. On Sundays with my husband and my kids, we do Monte Carlo.

You have kids?
I’m a mom of three, which most people can’t believe. I always say that whatever I do, there’s therapy later for my kids. We have a really bohemian, artistic household.

What’s hot in hair right now?
The shaved thing is getting a lot of talk in our salon. Rhianna shaved her hair off, and it’s ugly to every hairdresser in my salon, but I love it. There is nothing more beautiful to me than a woman who’s like, “You know, I’m just going to shave this off and just do me.”

HER STYLE
Faatemah is wearing jeans from Urban Outfitters that she altered herself; a vintage top; Vandalism vest; Dolce Vita shoes from Covered; a necklace by Tracy Bennett of Scout Vintage; a vintage ring; and arm-warmers from Heartbreaker. Her makeup is by Kumi Goaneh with fini