It's a beautiful feeling when you discover who you are and begin to tap into your natural talents. For many, knowing what they're good at is unknown, and that feeling can often cause us to feel unsure, fearful or even lost to what we are supposed to be doing in the world. "I felt lost!" These were the brave words that Darius King shared with the Good Media team during a recent interview about how he became a beauty guru, thriving cosmetologist and rising star. There has been a lot of buzz surrounding King’s styles with hair, so we were excited to connect such an influential young talent!
King started his journey after high school; however, it wasn't right away that he realized that he would find his way into hair-styling and specializing in handcrafted wigs. Initially, hair wasn't in the plan, but he could already feel that greatness was in his future. Before enrolling in beauty and cosmetology school, King tried out for the military but found it quite the task to overcome the entry test. He then tried his hand in the traditional college setting and found it still didn't feel up to par with his life's goals.
"I tried regular college for a semester, and realized I wasn't happy, so I sat on my bed during summer of 2018 and said to myself "I don't want to work for anyone for the rest of my life and I don't want to be in school taking tests forever either." -Darius King
That moment of peace and serenity helped guide him to apply for beauty and cosmetology school. It was in being accepted and going for about a month that a newfound passion began to surface. Since starting his journey, King has expanded his work by teaching himself to make wig units, sew-ins, frontals, and more! He has been turning heads left and right ever since...literally!
"I began to teach myself about unit making, sew-ins, frontals, etc. because no one wanted to teach me. Wigs weren't as popular as they are now, and I've never been the type to want to fit in, but always stand out." -Darius King
We were inspired by King's dedication and hard work in such a short period. His styles are stunning, and we see him as the next big thing in the beauty industry. It takes a lot of perseverance to become self-taught in a sector that is demanding and requires vision to make another person feel beautiful, but he has every bit of what it takes to take the world by storm.
Check out the interview below.
What has been your greatest accomplishment?
Taking my leap of faith last year! Losing my last 9-5, getting out of a toxic and abusive relationship, and getting kicked out of hair school in the same month was one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. A lot of people would've flopped in my shoes, but I'm a firm believer that God will never put more on you than you can bear, so I just kept my faith dusted my shoulders off and said Darius you prayed for this it's time to be your own boss. A year later, I was signed to an amazing agency after being told no by so many others. I have been given opportunities that I would've never thought of happening!
If you had to describe your craft-work in one word, what would it be and why?
The first word that comes to mind when I see my work is an improvement! I have come a long way in this short amount of time. I've only been doing hair for a year and some change, and I learn something new every time I do hair.
What makes you different from your competitors?
What sets me aside from a lot of people, even out of the industry has always been my personality. Like I stated earlier, I've never been the type to want to fit in. I love being my true self and never having to fake it for ANYBODY! That is one reason I was so against making a "Hair page" and a "Personal page," like what do I have to hide? I love that my clients can see the real boy behind the chair when you come to my page. You get a good laugh, and occasional look, and, most importantly, HAIR! And my cosmetology instructors kept saying, "you'll never gain clientele like that," but now they are eating their words on a silver platter, haha!
I've always been the type to stand on what I believe in whether others like it or not. I'm not changing. I get DMs every day from people everywhere that don't even know me saying how much they love me, I give them life, they want to meet me and how I make their day. I remember being in elementary and Jr. High and my teachers would write things like "Can't wait to see your name in big lights," and I was always the one to win awards like "most likely to win an Emmy or a Grammy." A lot of people say that I am too much, but the real tea is THEIR NOT ENOUGH!
King shared with us that there have been pros and cons since starting his journey.
"My pros, even since the very beginning, have been boosting women's confidence and knowing that I've made them feel and look their absolute best! The tears after turning the chair around or seeing them walk in with their heads down but walking out with their heads held high, I love it, it's never about the money that means so much more to me. The cons are just feeling like everyone is competitive. Biggie was right, the more money and success you gain, the more problems, drama, and hatred you receive! You lose friends, family, and relationships you thought would last forever, but I count it all as a blessing because anyone that's supposed to be in my life is and for those I lost along the way were never supposed to be here in the first place!" -Darius King
King's inspiration also came from knowing no one believed in him. He had once made it a habit to start something and never finish. However, when people noticed he was taking his new journey seriously, his support came pouring in. He credits his team for always pushing him and being supportive. King's final words of advice to anyone trying to pursue a hair or beauty career," Everything that's for you is already yours; you just have to go get it!"
To stay connected with Darius King, visit his social media at:
Instagram: @Iamdariusking
Facebook: @Darius King