Iconic Black hair stylist LaTisha Chong responsible for breathtaking looks for Serena Williams and Tracee Ellis Ross, passed away at 32 years old on July 19 from breast cancer.
As reported by Vogue, Chong was a Trinidad and Tobago native who moved to the U.S. with her family when she was just six. As one of the industry’s most famed stylists, condolence messages came out online. They praised her for her work in celebrating and upholding the beauty of Black hair, producing recognizable looks for big-name celebrities.
The official Twitter for Ross’ hair care brand Pattern shared a compilation of stunning photos collaged together that Chong had worked on with her. It wrote, “We say farewell as she is laid to rest today. PATTERN salutes her hair artistry. We are so grateful for the contribution she made to our hair story,”
In memory of LaTisha Chong 💛 we say farewell as she is laid to rest today. PATTERN salutes her hair artistry. We are so grateful for the contribution she made to our hair story.
We had the opportunity to work with LaTisha on our Expand Your Pattern campaign. Here are some of pic.twitter.com/jjXPyRW8Gt
— PATTERN by Tracee Ellis Ross (@PatternBeauty) August 19, 2022
Artist Ian Isiah pointed out how Chong “changed the world” and spoke of the balance between memories and heartbreak.
“I KEEP GETTING HIT BY WAVES, BUT ALL THESE MEMORIES OUTWEIGH THIS HEARTBREAK. THANK YOU FOR SEEING ME. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME IN. THANK YOU FOR CHANGING THE WORLD. I MISS YOU. I MISS US. HEAVEN REALLY COULDN’T WAIT FOR YOU.” He captioned it on Instagram.
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Chong’s last project was styling for Serena Williams for her farewell announcement from Tennis.
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After a stint in the Air Force, where she was diagnosed after years of service with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Stage Four Breast Cancer, she was discharged and attended university to continue to become a professional hairstylist.
