MoDa Imaging & Artist Development

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Here's My Story ..

The MoDa Styling Team

Veronica G. McClain
Owner; Hair, Makeup & Wardrobe Stylist

Born in London, KY, but raised in Upstate Albany, NY, I guess you can say I started out as a shy, quite “girly girl”. My mother has often told me that I was one of those children that could sit for hours by myself playing with a doll. As far back as I can remember, I loved doing the hair on my dolls and would be so disappointed when one of my parents would bring one of the dolls with plastic hair home. My grandmother, being a “Southern Woman” in every sense of the word, taught all of her grandchildren how to sew (among other things, like manners and cooking). Watching her and using scraps of the materials she had laying around, I use to make hand stitched clothes for my Barbie Dolls. Coloring was a very serious time for me too. It was important to stay in the lines but learning how to smudge the lines and blend colors really made my father proud of the many pictures I gave him. And being a “Daddy’s Girl” and high achiever, I wanted to do a better, more colorful expression of how I interpret the picture I was coloring. (U can do a lot with Minnie Mouse’s outfit!)

In high school, I discovered a love for art; the color, the creativity and expression thru various mediums. One day my guidance counselor asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I told her, “A good mother and wife.” She asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told her, “to have a strong family”. She looked at me (like I was crazy) and asked me, “What do you love? What do you want to do to earn money to take care of this family?” I sat there totally not knowing. She asked me what three of my favorite things were and I told her, “clothes/shopping, art and makeup”. I decided that day that I would be a fashion designer. Well, “life happened” and I didn’t take that route, but my journey has lead me to other exciting places where my creativity could explode.

Looking back, I can honestly say that most of what I know is self taught in the sense that if I was interested in something, I researched, explored and practiced it until I had a fundamental understanding and technique to manifest it. I have ALWAYS loved shopping, doing hair and make up. I have always appreciated and sought out the individual beauty in people and things. I have always dared to be different (I just don’t know any other way) and have created and tried styles that came to my mind based on what I was going thru at that particular time (I believe moods and feelings have color). I never wanted to look like anyone, but truly appreciated people’s outward self expression. But my biggest lesson in life has been to find the lesson (beauty) in all that I have done and what has happened to me and constantly define myself based on those experiences. Case in point, having children brought out a beauty in me that I would have never known had I not experienced it. Surviving certain traumatic experiences made me realize my strength and ability to forgive.

My fast forward history: I was a Art Major student in college; I attended and graduated Beauty School in NY (SUNYA, Educational Opportunity Center); I started a successful natural hair care business with my oldest daughter that we continue to operate out of our home (MoDa Natural Hair Care); I established a very successful entertainment consulting, coordinating, promotions, marketing and management company with my best friend (VeRon Entertainment); I attended and graduated from Beauty School in GA (Empire Beauty School); I am currently studying for my Georgia State License for Cosmetology and I am in the process of researching schools to become a licensed Estitition; and lastly, I have started MoDa Imaging, one of the first dreams that I had for a business.

I truly believe that beauty is an individual self definition. I believe that true beauty is obtained from the inside and brought out. When you know who you are and what defines you, you see and know your individual beauty and are able to present it to the world with a confidence that only you can portray!

Tyler McClain
Hair & Wardrobe Stylist

I remember being 7 years old and watching my mother practice what she learned in beauty school on her mannequin or one of her hair clients. She always tells people the story of how I use to take her left over hair and (with a mouth full of bubble gum) braid long hair extension on my Barbie doll’s head. I was never one to play with dolls, but when I became interested in hair, I found a use for them. During the time that my mother was in school, I use to convince my friends to let me practice braiding designs in their hair that I would create in my head and/or on paper. I became pretty good at it and started making money braiding at the age of 10. Over the years, like my mother, I built a loyal clientele and became known for my unique designing talents. Almost everyone in my family encouraged me to pursue a career as a hair stylist because of my natural ability, creativity and passion for my work.

When my mother moved us to Atlanta in 2003, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do after high school. As lead choreographer and dancer for her entertainment company in New York, I was bitten by the entertainment bug and thought that maybe I would pursue a career in dance/video. While exploring that, to make money, I slowly began to build a clientele for braiding in Atlanta. At this point I became extremely interested in interior design. Prior to graduating from high school, I explored the profession of interior design and decided that I would put off my decision to choose “what I wanted to be when I grew up” because there were a few career choices and opportunities that I had a strong passion about. (I guess you can say that if it has to do with design/creativity, I’m interested.)

One day, out of the blue, I asked my mother to take me to check out a Beauty School. At this point I made the decision to enroll at Empire Beauty School and study Cosmetology. At school I realized that I really love to cut and color hair (here we go with the creativity and designing side of my personality). Currently I am working ..ing the Cosmetology program and taking the Georgia State Boards to become a licensed Cosmetologist. Until then, I am acquiring experience as a hair and wardrobe stylist with MoDa Imaging.

Crystal Bailey
Assistant Hair, Wardrobe & Photo Shoot Stylist
Growing up in New York, you get to see, not only the melting pot of cultures, but the melting pot of styles. I remember the different styles my mother would put in my hair with the ease of breathing, and I knew that I wanted to be just like her in that sense. Style came so easy for her and her beauty captured the attention of everyone. I studied her as if I were in school. Wanting to walk in my mother’s shoes one day, I began with braiding. I would practice on my Barbie’s and other dolls I had. Soon, friends would ask me to do their hair for them. After my mother passed away, I pretty much had no choice but to maintain my own hair, but that’s how I really got good at it. After creating designs in my hair, as well as my closest friends, and getting compliments on my styles, I realized then that I wanted to be a stylist.
Once I moved to Atlanta, I began to build a clientele and eventually got a job in a salon as a shampoo assistant. Working in the shop gave me the insight of how the hair care business is run and what it takes to be successful. At this point, I decided that I wanted to do hair professionally for a living and enrolled in Empire Beauty School. This is where I met Tyler and Veronica and they embraced me as family. During my time in school, I realized that I have a deep passion for hair coloring. I enjoy the creativity of it, the freedom of it and the degrees of change it can make in a persons appearance and attitude. I also realized that I enjoy taking my time with my clients to make sure that they are getting the individual attention that makes them feel I truly care about the services I am providing them…because I do.
Beauty, to me, is more than skin deep. It is about personality and attitude, as well as looks. A woman or man whose attitude is positive and personality is one that you just can’t escape is beautiful. But it definitely doesn’t hurt to have a look that turns everyone’s head. Thank you Mommy for that lesson.

Akia Logan
Hair, Wardrobe & Photo Shoot Stylist
"Been in this hair game since the 6th grade…I was the one doing everybody on my blocks (PLUMTREE STAND UP..ASK ABOUT MY BORO) hair (ask about me). Upon graduating high school, I went on to attend Hampton University (the REAL HU) pursuing a degree in Business Management. While attending HU, I was styling hair in my dorm room, weekends got crazy, freshman and senior ball I had about 1/3 of the dance floor looking fly (as for the rest..doesn’t really matter..lol) Since graduating I have relocated to the Atlanta Metro area deciding to grab hold of my life long dream in becoming a stylist. Finally enrolling into Empire Beauty School I have had the opportunity to link up with my fellow team members from Moda Imaging, where we all have the same goal in styling and beautifying upcoming artist, models and people in general."

Nikki "Beautiful" Ross
Hair, Makeup and Wardrobe Stylist