On The Cover

VAUGHN

By Terry L. Watson Photos by Chastity Vaughn

She is an award winning stylist who owns the moment. Chastity Vaughn of Dallas, TX first and foremost is a child of God and work-a-holic. She is also a loving mother of three wonderful kids who prides herself on being determined.

“I come from humble means. And because of that, I believe that anything is possible if you work for it. As a business owner, I strive to be the best Entrepreneur I can be by providing quality work to each and every client that I have the privilege of servicing,” she says.

Chastity is the onwer of S2R Hair Studio LLC, (Something 2 Remember). There, along with her team of professional stylist, Chastity provides an array of services including but not limited to all types of natural hair, sister locks, traditional locs, updos, silk press (blowouts), hair tape extensions, and more. She explains how important versatility is in her industry. Natural hair and Sisterlocks are definitely two of Chastity’s specialties, and what she is widely known for.

“As a hairstylist, I would not want to limit myself. I want to be able to cater to my clients, on all fronts. It is my overall objective to create new and exciting looks for today’s modern woman, while offering a 5-star experience,” she says. Her versatility has eveolved to her now offering a Sisterlock Coaching Program and a Business 101 class.

“I am comfortable in my own skin. I am confident in all that I do, and it’s reflected in my work. I also have a fluid personality and the ability to work with almost any type of person. I don’t dictate what services I will provide to my clients. I am open to their ideas and so when they sit in my chair, I want them to understand that it takes a team effort and colloboration to produce the look they desire,” she states.

Chastity shares that she got her start styling hair early in life. Growing up as a child in Tupelo, Mississippi, she recalls her mother, who is also a hairstylist, styling hair. While watching her over the years, she found herself infatuated with hair as well. Once old enough to do so, Chastity says she registered and attended Foster’s Cosmetology in Ripley, MS in 1998. This is where she learned everything she needed to know about styling hair and the hair industry. “It was then that I decided to turn my dreams into reality. So, I took that knowledge, packed up and moved to Dallas in 2002, because I felt I could thrive as a young and new potential business owner,” she says.

After getting settled in Dallas, she purchased her first home and would eventually open Something2Remember Salon & Boutique. The first location Chastity operated out of her garage which was converted to a salon. As her business began to flourish she was afforded with an opportunity to branch out and expand to a salon suite setting. That transition brought about even more business for her. From there she was able to venture out on her own and into her own Salon Studio.

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2011 N Collins Blvd Ste 803 Richardson, TX 75080 (214) 620-5708 www.s2rhairstudio.com

While Chastity has proven herself to be a top tier stylist, there is still more that she hopes to accomplish and add to the profession overall. Some of these include education, excellent resources for live classes, and web-based tutorials and podcast. “I believe that selfinvesting in myself and my business is what has led to many doors opening up on my behalf. The struggles that I’ve endured have also played a major role. I am truly thankful for my struggles because without them, I would have never found my strength,” she confesses.

Another important ingredient for success Chasitiy shares is to surround herself with people who are smarter than she is. “It helps to push me. I am committed to pushing myself to stay ahead of the trends by taking tons of education classes that fall in line with my profession. Remaining humble helps me to remain grounded and focused and reminds me that no matter how successful I become as an entrepreneur, there is always room for improvement.”

Being a business onwer is very important and personal for Chastity. “It is something that I worked hard for, and no one can take it away from me. As a business woman, I wear different hats that influence my professional goals. I wear the hat of a mother first, and the hat of an entrepreneur, and mentor. As a strong business woman, I have not lost sight of the struggles and where I came from, because it was those trials that fueled me and instilled in me the drive and determination necessary to succeed,” she says.

Moving forward, Chastity has set her eyes on cementing her legacy by helping others. “Success and growth takes hard work, and not everyone understands this tough journey. At S2R Hair Studio, we welcome anyone who is looking to grow in their own personal journey. For those who are getting started, stay patient in your own journey. With growing your business from the ground up, one cannot expect to make money in the beginning. As a matter of fact you will probably spend more getting your business off the ground, but the key is to persevere and believe in your vision and mission. Keep working hard and Investing in yourself and your business and eventually things will pay off if you’re consistent,” she says. h

Tyriek Summers Art Is Life For Me

Local painter and sketch artist, Tyreik Summers wants to create a strong connection in the community using art. As someone who has participated in and taught arts programs in the community, he wanted to find a way to give back to the community.

“I want to build a platform that brings a spotlight to local artist and give them a chance to showcase their talents. I want to bring more value to the art world in Greensboro through community projects, art shows, and pop up shops. I would also like to empower the local artists, and allow artists to grow and learn from each other,” Tyreik shares. In the future, Tyreik will be offering art classes for the youth and for adults at Studio 203 on Summit Avenue in Greensboro. Tyreik explains that he wants to take his own approach to instruction, making the classes more interactive. Youth classes will be offered to middle school/high school students and the adult classes are for college students and older. T yreik hopes to partner with community youth programs, churches and non-profits to engage art class participants.

“My main focus is to teach you effective techniques through demonstration. I don’t want to teach people to draw what I draw or to draw like me. I want to bring out the creativity in every student. I will Guide the artist as they improve their skills while giving them full control of every step in the process.”

Although he has taught arts classes before, this will be his first solo coordinated course, that will consist of multiple sessions. Tyreik says he feels strongly about sharing his story and passion for art with other people.

“Growth Starts once you leave your comfort zone. You have a right to embrace your passion. You’re your actions can change your situation. Everyone has a Story, I’m here to help you tell it,” says Tyreik.

Tyreik says he welcomes students of all levels into his classes, and the more diverse, the better. “Engaging with other artists and their styles provides different perspectives and gives more meaning to the whole movement. The different back stories, the different styles. Even for me. I can’t draw everything. I’m always learning something new when it comes to art.”

Born and raised in Greensboro, N.C., the 26 year-old is fluent in various mediums such abstract, oil paints, watercolors, acrylic paints, graphite pencils, charcoal and pastels. Art always came natural to him, says Tyreik. Growing up, he would spend hours carefully studying the talent and drawings of his biggest inspiration –- his father.

“I was always inspired by my dad as a kid. I would watch him sketch. That inspired me to go that extra mile to really learn how to draw as well as he did,” says Tyreik. Although his father is not a professional artist, it was his father’s hobby -– a talent that he passed down to his son.

“I always had a creative mind, ideas constantly popping in my head and one day I pick up a pencil. Now I can’t stop, always challenging myself through different mediums, techniques and styles. I really just fell in love with it. It was very therapeutic to me. Something that starts as an idea in your head, then comes to life on paper, it’s an amazing sense of accomplishment,” says Tyreik. “I feel a sense of peace when I’m creating art. I feel free. It’s just my world.”

The budding artist has also created various custom pieces from family portraits, landscapes, cartoons, sketches, and completed a wall mural at a Greensboro yoga studio.

“Portraits are special to me because they capture a moment in time. You can look back and reminisce on who was in the photo or why that portrait is special.”

He is also a student at Guilford Technical Community College studying Robotic Engineering. With his degree, he wants to design and build natural robotic appendages to aid in limb replacements. His goal is to design something that can be used all the time -- lightweight, waterproof and more importantly, affordable. “My vision for this is to allow someone to have the best quality of life they can have. And live a life without limitations despite losing a limb or being born without one,” says Tyreik.

The growing artist has big plans for his future. He wants to travel the world, immersing himself in art across the globe and painting wherever he goes. He explains that the world around him inspires him to create, as well as other artists and their different styles. He believes that the only way to get better is to work on your craft and not be afraid to explore unfamiliar genres of art. Tyreik notes that he is excited to take on new art techniques such as sculpture, mixed media, graphic art, screen printing and photography. He is also working on producing art tutorials for YouTube as well.

“I really would love to be able to create my own art school that includes visual and performing arts. A program that would really provide aspiring artists the tools to get to the next level. I would love for everyone to experience the joy of art.”

Tyreik shares that the first piece of art he was really proud of was a black and white self-portrait sketch in his high school art class. It was an eye opening moment for him.

“The hardest thing you can draw is yourself. You have to really take inventory of yourself. It’s how you see yourself, mixed with how other people see you and all that you think you are or not or like or don’t like about yourself. It’s all wrapped up in there. And you have to take all that and put it into your drawing. I couldn’t change anything. I had to draw what I saw. You can’t lie. All you can do is tell the truth,” he shares.

Tyreik says that art allows people to see the world in a different way. Sometimes what you think you see, isn’t really there. “Art shows us the what-ifs, the maybes, and the how comes, versus whether what is or isn’t. There’s more than two sides to every story.”

The list of artists he admires range from freelance artists from Instagram MikeysDrawings, IamtheartistIam, a pencil and comic book sketch artist, to notable famed artist, Bob Ross. h

His art can be seen on Instagram @XTHECREATOR and on Facebook @Visionary Arts