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The US is the capital of niche markets. If you want to have a conference on hardwood floors as opposed to ceramic, it can be done, and you could still attract 5,000 people to attend.
The natural haircare niche has made its way to Nairobi. This is hair that is worn the way you were born: not subjected to chemicals. You can be natural and wear weaves and wigs as a protective style, but if it is your only style – you ain’t natural or as they say now, naturalista!
Naturalistas are the fly, funky-looking beauties with an untamed mane or locks or braids. They rock their freedom. Last year on November 14 and 15, there was an event that discussed the best care for naturalistas hair. Leading that talk was natural hair celebrity stylist Felicia Leatherwood from Los Angeles, California.
There is no question, Felicia is passionate about natural hair. Caring for your crowning glory in a natural way frees you literally, logistically and financially to a certain extent. Felicia shares that there is a stigma about being natural – that it is unkempt.
She sees her role to profile products and styles that make women feel good about their mane. She takes it a step further to talk about the association of natural hair with low self-esteem when it should be the opposite. “I want women to embrace their hair and not cover it.” She is not against women who prefer relaxed hair or weaves. But if the process is damaging to the hair and causing permanent hair loss, those regimens should be let go and one’s natural hair should be embraced.
Felicia shares that it is more than just about hair, but a spiritual transformation process that moves from within to sync the physical outside with a confident presentation. When African American Emmy Award winning actress Viola Davis, star of How to Get Away With Murder, removed her wig and chose to wear her natural hair on the red carpet, it was practically reported as breaking news on CNN!
Felicia was behind her unveiling. “Women have attached their beauty to things that do not tell the story of who they truly are –they have bought in to the way people see and accept them with their hair, clothing etc.,” Felicia said. So, when Viola shed her wig without caring, it clearly caused a paradigm shift in the Hollywood scene.
Having been here and taken us through the importance of natural hair, I hope Nairobi is gearing for a transformational change.
Denise is an Afro-soul singer and music performance coach
