Desirée Rogers Discusses Her Career Rebound as New Ebony/Jet CEO

From The New York Times:

AFTER Desirée Rogers left her job as White House social secretary last winter amid grousing about whom she let into presidential events (uninvited aspiring reality television stars) and whom she didn't (doyennes of Washington society accustomed to A-list treatment), she paused to reflect on a tenure that had been so groundbreaking yet so fractious.

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Michelle Obama Hairstyles

The day after Michelle Obama took the stage for the Democratic National Convention, she asked hairstylist Johnny Wright to give her a sweep, which he provided with a bit of bang on the side to soften it up.

Ted S. Warren, AP

AFP

BlackVoices.com

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

"I'm pretty happy with the hairstyle she has now," says hairstylist Johnny Wright, who styled Michelle Obama's loose bob in this August 2008 photo. When asked if he would change anything about the First Lady's hair, he responded: "I would add a few more layers, which wouldn't be too drastic, but other than that I really like the look on her now. It works well on her face and accentuates her features."

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

When asked how he gets Michelle Obama's hair so smooth, Johnny Wright responds, "Blow-drying and using a little pomade to lay it down and make sure it stays straight."

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

The first time stylist Johnny Walker did Michelle Obama's hair, he flipped up the ends, which he had seen her do previously and was en vogue last year. Wright, who did not do her hair in this photo, says that it generally takes him about 30-45 minutes to do Mrs. Obama's hair after she is washed. "I basically blow-dry and use a ceramic flat iron," he says.

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

Michelle Obama, clad in pearls and a pearly white smile, sports a basic flip with a headband in this July 2007 photo on the campaign trail.

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

Michelle Obama in a March 2007 photo in New York. Says her current hairstylist Johnny Wright, "I've never been a trend follower; I've always been a trendsetter. I like to create women's personalities. A woman's hair is the first thing you hear before she speaks. It really defines something about her."

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

Michelle Obama waves to the crowd after speaking at an annual "power lunch" in May 2008 in her hometown of Chicago. Here here hair looks softened and loose and had not grown to the length she currently sports.

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

"I love this look," says Johnny Wright of Michelle Obama as she listened to her husband at a rally in Detroit in September 2008. "It's very soft." Her hair had grown significantly, he observed, and "looks like it was roller-set."

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

On what was undoubtedly a very exciting day, Michelle Obama sports a ponytail and headband as she casts her vote on Election Day -- what turned out to be a very historic day indeed.

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

Hairstylist Johnny Wright, who hasn't advised Mrs. Obama on travel yet, gives all his clients the same tips on healthy hair care: It's about "keeping your hair moisturized and not putting too much heat on it," he says. "Try to sleep on satin pillows, because they keep the moisture in your hair and prevent it from breaking. It's all about health, and I want to keep anyone's hair healthy, whether it's a regular client or the First Lady."

Michelle Obama Hairstyles

"I took time to try to analyze and understand what happened," Ms. Rogers said one recent afternoon over tea at the St. Regis, which has become her home away from home on her frequent visits to New York.

So what exactly did happen?

"Try," she laughed softly, explaining that despite all her soul searching, she never really did figure it all out. "I never did. I never did. I can't even - I can't give you an answer on that one."

Related:
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+President Obama Needs a Better PR Team For His Economic Record

During her 15-month stay in Washington, Ms. Rogers broke molds. She was the first black person to occupy the position of social secretary. She approached the job with egalitarian visions of returning the "people's house" to the people themselves. And she cut a high-wattage public profile - in Chanel heels and Comme des Garçons evening dresses - for a job that was traditionally conducted out of public view.

Please read the full report on Desirée Rogers' life after the White House at Nytimes.com.

Question:
Are you happy that Desirée Rogers left the White House and is now the CEO of Johnson Publishing?