I LOVE YOUR MOTTO "STAY OUT THE DAMN BOX!"
WHAT INSPIRED IT, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN
TO YOU?
"Stay out the Damn Box" is a lifestyle choice of taking
risks, stepping out of your comfort zone to achieve
growth and not being confined to the normalcy of society.
Mainstream industry beauty standards are not equal; Black
women are not mainstream. A small percentage are shown
in a certain light, but television and film productions
do not have a large group of hair specialists who have a
passion (or knowledge) of natural hair care along with
styling for all types of textures of hair. Staying out the
damn box also means creating my own lane to make an
impact on this industry positively through hair artistry.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR CAREER?
I have been grounded in the arts since the age of
6, when I was introduced to dance. I grew up with
technique-based classical training, which gave me my
roots. The art of dance later allowed me a deeper love
and respect for theater, costume, makeup, and even
hair creativity. By age 9, I realized I was interested in
doing hair and started creating hair designs on my doll
and then styling my own hair. I realized I had a unique
talent for creative hairstyling and became intrigued
with seeing what I could do with other people's hair.
I attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts High
School in Washington, D.C., where I began to get the
attention of instructors in dance and theater—who
realized I could do more than groom a sleek bun for
a dance performance—so I involved myself in every
position in the arts, from being in front of the camera
to behind the scenes where the magic happens. By 2007,
I graduated from Howard University as a single mother
of a 1-year-old daughter, Xihir, and decided to move to
Atlanta, Georgia, to pursue a career in production.
In Atlanta, my interests turned to becoming a
model, a hairstylist (as a hobby), and working as a
casting assistant, so I put myself in the environment
of artists, directors, photographers, hairstylists,
makeup artists, models, and actors to build up my
Meet Shanna Anise, creative hairstylist, entrepreneur,
and fierce mama whose motto, "Stay Out the Damn
Box," is a lifestyle choice that represents her refusal
to be confined to society's norm. Here, Anise shares
insights about her work, her family, her business
goals, and why—after 20 years—she still falls in love
with her career choice.
N ot a m e m b e r ? J o i n at a s so c iate d h a i rp rofe s sio n a ls .c o m 25
BASKETBALL GLAM
Photographer:
@creativesoulphoto
Hair: @redmystiqueart
Makeup: @keyamua
Model: @aaliyah.appold
NOLA DOLL
Photographer:
@creativesoulphoto
Hair: @redmystiqueart
Model: @mhykeexg
