Latoya Grindley, Staff Reporter

Experimenting with hair was always her hobby. She would style her own hair and that of her friends' in high school.

However, it took her several years after graduating from Wolmer's High School for Girls and the University of Technology for her love to materialise into what she does full-time.

Yana-Renée Edwards is the mastermind behind the YLE brand. This brand, she hopes, will become a major beauty and cosmetics line, appealing to the modern woman.

Still in a relatively early stage, the first phase centres around retailing Virgin Brazilian hair for customers.

This type of hair extension is said to be one of the best in terms of recognition around the world and quality.

She told Flair that because of the origin, the quality of the hair blends well with most hair types.

"I feel like it blends well with our hair type as the others are more silky".

high quality hair

After extensive research, Edwards decided on a supplier in the United States of America, that supplies her with authentic high-quality hair. And she was convinced that packaging the hair under her name was a winning idea.

"Before, when I just started, I was just ordering online. But what I realised was that some of the hair came from China and was not very good quality. With the supplier I have now, I actually got samples before I made my decision."

Learning along the way, so far things have been going well for this young entrepreneur.

"Women want to look and feel good, and right now I can't complain about the direction the business is heading in."

Retailing hair, ranging from lengths between 12 and 30 inches, clients can choose from wavy, straight and curly hair textures. With versatility in the hair, they can be coloured and they are receptive to heat, so their styles can be taken from curly and wavy to straight or the reverse.

Skilful and talented, upon request, Edwards can make wigs or sew in and style her clients.

This growing request from customers has prompted her to open her own hair salon. This, she says, will be launched by the end of this month.

"It will be based on appointments only and will be really exclusive. They will be served with refreshments and there will only be one client at a time inside the salon."

maintaining the hair

Caring and maintaining clients' hair and styles will be a part of the services offered at the salon as well.

"A lot of times, the clients say that they cannot get the hair looking like how I styled it, or they want another look and can't do it by themselves. So the salon is really to facilitate them and to keep them looking good."

Another plan in the pipeline, is the YLE hair product line. These products are geared specifically to the treatment and care of hair extensions.

"I am actually in talks with the manufacturer. I will be coming out with a sulphate-free shampoo, conditioner and oil line."

With so many plans for her YLE brand, Edwards, who returned home in 2011 from a modelling stint, is optimistic about the future of her business.

She is working on her own master plan to make 'fabulousness a lifestyle for every woman". To represent the vision and look of the line, she has, so far, signed on media personality Yanique 'Curvaceous Diva' Barrett as a brand ambassador.

Yana-Renee Edwards can be contacted at 474- 8824 or http://www.facebook.com/yleLoveYourHair

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com