Mikki Taylor is an award-winning journalist, author, storyteller and trusted authority on beauty and style for women of color. Taylor, who has over 30 years’ experience in media, has made depicting the stories of women of color her life’s work because of her strong desire to bring the beauty, strengths, and amazing complexities of womanhood to life.
As the former Beauty & Cover Director at ESSENCE Magazine, Taylor casted and produced over 500 covers as well as its signature beauty pages to affirm and inspire the culture’s definition of beauty. She went on to become Editor-at-Large, where she hosted live events such as the ESSENCE Festival’s PowerStage and Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey. Taylor also scripted and served as host for nearly a decade for the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards which is dedicated to honoring the power and presence of Black women in front of as well as behind the camera. Taylor engaged such trailblazing women as Viola Davis, Ave Duvernay, Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee, Angela Bassett, Regina King, and others for this annual epic event that takes place during Oscar week in Los Angeles.
Today Taylor is the President of Satin Doll Productions, Inc., a strategic branding, and communications company that empowers individuals to identify their purpose, grow opportunities and understand what’s key to brand engagement. The multi-platform company is also dedicated to telling unexpected stories about women of color on screen. As a voting member of the Screen Actors Guild, (SAG-AFTRA), Taylor continues her commitment to supporting the acting community, and influencing the changing representation in film and television. She also supports the arts as a member of the Women’s Association of NJPAC (Women@NJPAC) for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the anchor cultural institution for the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey.
Taylor has authored such critically acclaimed books as Self-Seduction (Random House); Commander in Chic: Every Woman’s Guide to Managing Her Style Like a First Lady (Simon and Schuster); Editor-in-Chic: How to Style and Be Your Most Empowered Self (Simon and Schuster) and Force of Beauty: A Newark Family Memoir, an Audible Original, co-authored with filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper. The first person-narrative reflects on Taylor’s 1960s childhood in Newark, NJ and her front-row seat into the rising power and true glamor of Black culture. Listeners will hear Mikki describe the city and the landmarks that influenced her world, from her mother’s work with the iconic singer Sarah Vaughan as hairstylist, makeup artist and wardrobe stylist to her role as a salon owner and award-winning stylist.
Taylor has appeared on Good Morning America, NBC Today, The View and such networks as CNN, CBS, OWN and BET and has worked with some of the world’s most fascinating and influential people, including Rosa Parks, Sidney Poitier, Michelle Obama, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and more. Internationally, she has served as an instructor at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa at the special invitation of Oprah Winfrey, and as a keynote speaker at the De Beers Global Women’s Summit in Botswana on consumer engagement.
Taylor is currently featured in such ground-breaking documentaries as Xfinity’s The Black Beauty Effect (Comcast NBCUniversal and FaceForward Productions; Vogue Magazine YouTube Originals Supreme Models, executive produced by Iman (Fall 2022) and the forthcoming A & E Network’s James Brown: Say it Loud, executive produced by Mick Jagger and Questlove (Spring 2023).
