Jackson Free Press

As a psychology major, Leah Vincent was more mesmerized with the brain than hair, but when her friends encouraged her to pursue her hobby of hairstyling, she decided to change career paths. "I wasn't sure if psychology was for me, but I always knew that I had an interest in styling hair," she says.

Vincent, 30, owner of Colorize Studio in Ridgeland, presented her styling skills at the 2010 Vogue Fashion Night Out show in New York City last month. At the show, Vincent worked with the "Guido" team, styling hair for Naomi Campbell and other Victoria's Secret models. During the fast-paced event, it was her team's responsibility to create unique styles for the models. Vincent was one of 100 stylists at the fashion show.

The fashion show kicked off New York's annual fashion week and included 170 styles. Themes included: "Fifties Flair," "Rocker Chic," "Weekend Wrap-Up," "Pure of Heart," "Tartan Twist," "Go Global," "Super Model" and "Jazz Age Cool."

"Being a part of the Vogue Fashion's Night Out backstage hair team allowed me to sharpen my hairstyling skills and find inspiration in runway hair trends," Vincent says.  "I learned how to take inspiration from exaggerated runway styles and create wearable styles for my clients in Mississippi."
The Meridian native earned her associate's degree in psychology from East Central Community College in Decatur, Miss., but has been styling hair for the past 10 years. She is the sole stylist in her studio. "It is more convenient to have my own studio, because I can come and go as I need since I travel a lot," says Vincent who is also a Redken creative consultant.

Vincent, a graduate of West Lauderdale High School, currently lives in Madison.