By Alexandria Ramos
Kiara Pierre, self-taught nail technician and founder of “Nailed by Ki,” is passionate about the luxurious feeling of self-care, which pushed her to create her now thriving nail technician business.
“When I was a little girl, getting my nails done with my mom always made me feel good about myself, like I was taking care of myself,” The junior mass media arts major at Clark Atlanta University said. “So it was a no-brainer. That feeling alone made me love nails and want to give other girls a great experience.”
“Nailed by Ki” started as an idea before Pierre’s matriculation at CAU as she noticed the lack of Black representation in nail salons. The rarity of Black women doing nails as opposed to getting their nails done is evident in nearly every salon.
Although it raised doubts for her at first as a Black woman, Pierre began her journey and has remained steadfast ever since.
Pierre’s drive was also ignited by realizing that some nail technicians disregard their clients, especially Black women, not genuinely caring for their needs. Often, clients end up with the opposite of what they asked for, and even some who leave a salon with damaged nails.
“I wanted to give girls a great experience that wouldn’t leave them traumatized to get their nails done,” Pierre said.
She spoke of her business quite passionately, emphasizing how much she admires nails’ versatility, which keeps the devotion for her craft thriving.
“The summer before college, I became obsessed with nails,” she stated. “I love the technical part of it and the creative side because of how much you can do with nails.”
According to Pierre, a rise in Black representation in the nail technician industry is slowly but surely. Given the opportunities presented through social media, the growth of Black women who genuinely take care of their clients is exponential.
“I feel like we are taking over the industry, and I love to see it because we’re not given the recognition or credit we deserve, but we’re slowly but surely taking it over and doing it the right way,” she said.
Pierre’s advice to other aspiring nail techs is to “believe in yourself and your craft, practice to be the best you can be, and enjoy the process.” It may start slow, and it may be easy to compare yourself to famous nail technicians, but trusting in the journey will get you where you want to be.
To get the “Nailed by Ki” experience, Pierre organized a booking site with acuity where clients book which service they would like done and the time and day works best for them following her availability.
Based in South Fulton, Atlanta, Pierre has built a social media platform on Instagram (@nailedbyki_), where you can access the booking process and her nail supply store.