We recently blogged about hair discrimination being banned in both New York and California, which is great news for anyone looking to celebrate their natural hair and not feel that they have to hide it in any way.
If this sounds like a familiar story to you, you might want to check out Curlfest, a celebration of natural beauty, space where women and girls of every shape, size and shade can come and really revel in who they are – unconditionally!
The first of this year’s events have just been held at Randall’s Island Park in New York, taking place on July 27th, followed by Curlfest Roller Set on July 28th at the Lefrak Center at Lakeside in Brooklyn. But don’t despair if you missed either of these – Curlfest ATL is set to be put on in September in Atlanta, although the exact date is yet to be confirmed.
The biggest natural beauty festival in America, Curlfest is 100 per cent owned by black women, created back in 2014 by the Curly Girl Collective – only attracting 1,000 guests at the time. Now, more than 75,000 people attend from all over the world, which just goes to show what can be achieved in five short years!
The Atlanta event will be the first time Curlfest has been taken out of New York and while it will be very similar to what goes on in the Big Apple, it will be given something of a southern twist.
So what’s going to be going on come September? Well, there will be a marketplace where you can buy all the products your hair needs to continue looking fabulous, an empowerment stage, the main stage for various acts to perform, eats and treats for when you get hungry and an arts district to keep you well entertained.
Check out this article on the Refinery29 website revealing just what went down at the Randall’s Island event this year. We challenge you not to want to buy a ticket for the next Curlfest as soon as you see some of the pictures!
As the article explains, all sorts of different styles were in evidence on the day, from curly pineapples to fluffy afros, with the event showcasing just how versatile black hair can be.
But if you’re looking for a big trend to take away with you, apparently bold colour is where it’s at right now…and if you’re not keen on dying your hair, investing in high-quality human hair wigs could be the way to go about it.
In terms of shades, consider going icy platinum or something big and bright like fuchsia or yellow. Pastels such as lilac were also in evidence – all of which are sure to keep your hairdresser very busy indeed.
The good news if you’ve missed Curlfest or can’t see yourself ever being in the US in time for the event is that there are all sorts of other natural hair festivals held around the world each year… so you’re really spoiled for choice.
What about the CurlyTreatsFEST at Colesdale Farm here in the UK, for starters? This event takes place on July 27th but you’ve not missed it this year as it had to be postponed because of an issue with the event site. It should be back in winter so put a note in your diary to remind you to check it out.
There’s also the Afrolicious Hair Expo in Dallas that could be fun to attend if you happen to be in the area (although again, it appears to have been and gone so you’ll need to remember it for 2020).
For anyone struggling to tame their wonderful mane of curly hair, what about checking out the Curly Girl Method, which is seriously trending online at the moment. There are a set of rules to follow that should help you gain control of your hair, such as not using shampoo or heat, avoiding combs and brushes, and so on.
Cleansing your hair should be done in a specific way as well. You’re advised, for example, to stimulate your entire scalp with your fingertips while washing. And it depends on the kind of hair you have as to how you cleanse it. If you have curly hair, you should wash once a week or every ten days co-washing with water and conditioner. Do some research and see what works for you.
