What a difference a year makes! In 2008, Johnny Wright was already making a name for himself as a celebrity hairstylist. Then a very special client came into his life, and as her star rose so did his. Soon, every possible snip and tuck became the topic of beaucoup speculation, and Johhny Wright found his name in the headlines. That client of course, is First Lady Michelle Obama. Mr. Wright has been the man behind the mane since the days of the Obama campaign. Now, sometimes he finds himself working with his most famous client at Washington DC's most famous address -- just this past week, he made sure Michelle's coif was styled to perfection for her husband's State of the Union address. Johnny is also Artistic Style Director to venerable African American haircare brand Softsheen Carson.

When we were offered the opportunity to speak with the witty Mr. Wright, we jumped at the chance! Without further ado, heeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!

BV Hair Talk -- I believe the main thing that most people know about you is that you are Michelle Obama's go-to hairstylist. Tell me how that came about.

Johnny Wright -- Basically we met towards the beginning of the campaign, for an Essence photo shoot and it's been marvelous since then. And that's how I made my mark by doing her hair for the inauguration -- I think the quality of my work shined, and we just hit it off. One of the things I'm most proud of is the comfort level I have with all my clients. They treat me like family.

BV: Talk to me about the infamous "tuck up" -- back during the White House's Country Music Night everyone thought Michelle had cut her hair. But it was a style you'd given her!

JW: That's something I'd learned when I was working with Fredrick Fekkai -- it's a great updo for when you don't actually want to have a haircut. It's something I've been doing for a while now. In the presentations I've been doing for Softsheen Carson, I've been teaching people how to mimic that style. It's surprisingly easy!

BV: Let's talk about haircuts. Right now, the bob is super hot. Do you think this is a style that'll have staying power through 2010?

JW: If you asked me what is my signature hairstyle, I'd have to say the bob. I love the bob. If it's cut correctly, it can work with any shaped face, any frame, any texture. People used to say the bob is the hardest cut to do but to me it's one of the easiest cuts. I love an A-line bob, or a bob with long bangs. It's a classic cut. All the celebs I work with I try to let them know a medium length bob can be very versatile - there are so many styles you can wear it in.

BV: So I have natural hair -- how can a bob work for me?

JW: A bob works for natural hair - it's a nice shape when your hair is curly or when you want to poof it out. Right in the middle between short and long. It's all about finding a shape that is right for you. I've always felt that a hairstylist should look at themselves as a sculptor, and cut the shape that suits the style for the person. That's how I have been able to create styles that go beyond basic haircuts.

BV: Many of this blog's readers are natural but they like to switch it up from time to time and straighten their hair with heat. Do you have any particular recommendations of products they should use?

JW: For heat styled hair - it's most important to have hair that's conditioned well. With Roots of Nature we've got 4 products that condition the hair and provide moisture. Next up we're releasing a shampoo and a thickening cream. I always say, healthy hair starts at the bowl. These products are going to enhance the Roots of Nature line.

BV: Do you have any tips for winter hair issues? Between the snow outside and the heat inside, my fro is fried right now!

JW: Natural hair can be just as dry as chemically treated hair, so if you don't have the proper products to give your hair the moisture it needs, you'll have issues. Roots of Nature is made with good ingredients like shea butter and green tea, it helps you to keep that moisture. You wanna make sure you use products that are highly concentrated and shea butter is your most moisturizing product. Putting shea butter in our products is helping to keep hair moisturized in the summer and the winter. And another one of my fave tips is - use vitamin E. Either take the oil, or pop open the capsules to rub it on your scalp.

BV: Have you ever used castor oil? That's one of my favorite natural oils.

JW: I've never used castor oil! I do use olive oil - real olive oil and use it as part of a deep conditioning treatment. I add it to Roots of Nature Reconstructing Deep Treatment to enhance the conditioning.

BV: You're from Chicago. I live here now! Tell me about the city -- how did it help to shape your career?

JW: It all started in Chicago! I had a huge clientele - that's where I made my mark. I'm from Chicago and I moved to LA. I love love love Los Angeles, but what I do appreciate in Chicago is its keen ability in shaping these great people. Kanye is on shaky ground these days, but he's a talented artist. Then we've got the Obamas and you see how talented and real they are. And that's the core of what I am about - being from Chicago makes you have a certain character, and it's always a nice, warm feeling to meet people from Chicago. I had over 300 clients there, but I left them because I was chasing a dream. And now my dreams have come true. I never thought I'd be stepping foot into the White House!