Trinidad-born, Atlanta-based natural hairstylist Kimberly James works magic with her hands—and we’re “hair” for it!
The 25-year-old owner of Kymba’s Beauty grew up obsessed with salon culture. Some of her fondest childhood memories were the bi-weekly Saturday trips with her mom to the bright-pink shop in Morvant. She’d sit munching on chicken wings from the owner while patiently waiting for her favourite stylist, Shantell.
At just seven, her mother taught her how to braid using two shoelaces tied to her favourite plastic chair. She picked up the skill instantly. A year later, the Malick Girls’ Primary School student was already making wigs for her Bratz doll with leftover hair from her aunt Dail and glue from the corner parlour. Her mother always encouraged her creativity instead of shutting it down. Every Carnival, whatever colour her costume was, that same hue ended up in her braids.
When Kimberly migrated to the United States at 11, her passion for the craft only grew stronger. She later enrolled at Georgia Piedmont Technical College and graduated with her cosmetology licence in 2021.
Today she’s right back in the same world that shaped her—creating show-stopping looks alongside her aunt and cousins in the Atlanta salon where she started helping out as a teenager. Last year her work was featured on Fox 5 Atlanta—a moment she still calls “one of the biggest” in her life.
Q: You’ve had a love for hairstyling from a young age. But when did you realise you wanted to do it for a living?
A: I moved to Georgia at 15 with my aunty Joann, but my aunty Shelly and cousin are full-time hairstylists. I would go to work with them on my school breaks and sometimes on a Saturday. At that time, I would only wash my aunts’ clients’ hair, make appointments and keep everything neat around the shop. I also paid attention to what my aunty was doing and she had a mannequin that I would practice on. Eventually, she started letting me do clients. My confidence was building, so I would do my friends’ and co-workers’ hair. I felt like I wasn’t really working and that’s when I knew I could do this for a living. Being at the shop never felt like a “job.”
Q: Tell us about your journey in making your dream a reality?
A: I started off working in a beauty supply store. I left and began working in fast food, but left because no one would understand my accent. Before I knew about code switching, I would constantly be repeating myself at the drive-thru window. That was so stressful. Then I started working at a grocery store called Publix in Atlanta—those are just a few of the jobs I kept on the side because I was still learning and growing in the salon. I was really scared that if I dropped my constant income, how would I survive. My cousin Janelle would always motivate me to work in the shop full-time with her and my aunty. Before I left my last job, my dad would pay my rent, so that was my safety net. On January 20, 2025, it was raining and I was so late for work. I called my dad and I asked him, ‘What if I just leave this job boy?’ and he said, “I support whatever you do full hundred.”
By this time, I was already building my clientele by posting on social media. One of my videos went viral with over one million views and that kickstarted my career. I started getting so much clients I quit my job because I needed to be available at the shop. With the help of God, I’m still able to be a full-time hairstylist without having to ask my dad for help. After a while, I told him I can start paying my rent now and I expressed how thankful I was because he was a great help to me. My long-term plan is to have my own hair show annually.
Q: Your designs are incredibly unique. Where do you draw inspiration from when you’re creating a new look?
A: This is an interesting question because I’ve realised my inspiration comes from me being fixated on one specific thing and creating ideas from that. For example, if I’m constantly thinking about beads or a certain colour, then I’ll make my next hairstyle around that and ideas will come along the way. If my clients want me to be creative, I try to go based on their personality. Sometimes they come with inspo; sometimes they don’t, but I always try my best to give them what they want by adding my style to it. My work is very detailed. Some styles take me about seven hours. Most of my clientele is for photoshoots, but I do have my regulars that I do styles on that’s wearable to work and everyday life.
Q: How do your clients react when they finally see themselves in the mirror?
A: They always stare at themselves and smile. It’s like seeing a light just shining through them. They always let me know how much they really love their hair, how beautiful it makes them feel. I have clients who come from out of town, North Carolina, Alabama, etc. My last client told me she rented a car and drove five hours so I can do her hair for her birthday. That moment made me so happy. She told me she never felt this beautiful before and said she’ll be coming back. I also have clients who fly in to do their hair, then leave the next day. To have that much faith in me means so much.
