Tributes flowed throughout the beauty industry for beloved master hairstylist, texture educator and mentor, brand ambassador, and entrepreneur Dominique Ly’Var Tucker after his sudden passing on Sept. 2 from an unexpected medical emergency. He was 49.
Ly’Var nurtured and influenced thousands of hairstylists throughout his career, mostly through his Uzuri Method, a specialized curly- and coily-hair cutting and education system.
He designed the method to empower stylists to truly understand cutting curls and coils while embracing their artistry.
He was a passionate core member of the Texture vs Race Collaborative, an educational organization that trains hairstylists to work with the full spectrum of hair types, while striving to deconstruct racial bias in the beauty industry.
“He was the avatar for the Texture vs Race movement,” says the organization’s co-founder, Keya Neal. “His way of teaching felt very inclusive. Everything from his speech to his body language to the way he executed his work — all of it was inclusive.”
Neal says she came to rely on Ly’Var to help grow and energize Texture vs Race. “He was loyal,” she says. “He was a hard worker and a consummate team member. I could lean on him and he always came through. He did whatever was necessary to make sure every class, event, and moment was a success.”
Ly'Var's instruction was punctuated with humor, insight, compassion, and a genuine desire to uplift every student who crossed his path.
He attended beauty school in New York, where he expressed early interest in a career as an educator.
He admitted to American Salon that he’d applied for a cosmetology instructor’s license before actually completing the required two-year salon tenure. “They didn’t realize I hadn’t worked in a salon yet!” he said at the time. “I fell through the cracks. That’s how I got into teaching.”
He worked in salon chains, climbing the ladder from salon manager to multi-location manager, before working in administration at DevaCurl for several years. Ly’Var eventually opened an independent salon suite in Manhattan, Suite Uzuri.
“Uzuri is a Swahili word that means ‘beauty’ or ‘goodness,’” he explained. “It is often used to describe something that is beautiful, or to express appreciation for beauty in various forms, such as nature, art, people — and curls!”
His critically acclaimed Uzuri Method, taught with Ly’Var’s infectious energy and kind spirit, helped fellow stylists recognize and advance the artistic possibilities of curly and coily hair.
"Dom was brilliance personified, but what made him so impactful wasn’t simply his talent," says his friend and fellow educator, Brenda Ameral. "It was how generously he shared that talent.
"He could command a stage and then be the same person helping set up and carrying boxes. There was no ego in the work for him," she says.
"Dom made you want to be better. Know better. DO better. And he did it with humility, humor, kindness, laughter, and an extraordinary amount of love. The beauty industry feels smaller and a whole lot quieter without him. But his impact lives in every person he taught, encouraged, challenged, and made feel lke they belonged.
"I’m incredibly grateful that I got to call him my friend."
Ly'Var said his ultimate goal was always to give a voice to beauty professionals who felt unseen or unrepresented. “Wherever I can get my foot in the door and open it a little wider,” he told American Salon, “that’s what I'm going to do.”
Neal says that "we were very lucky to have him, and to expose the world to him.
“He was a light in this world," she says. "He wanted to be here. He had so much to look forward to and so much to do.”
Ly’Var is survived by numerous friends and family, especially his husband, Damien Scott. A GoFundMe has been set up for donations to a celebration of life.