Sunday, September 9, 2018

Texture on the Runway 2018 Celebrating 20 Years with NaturallyCurly

More than 800 media, influencers, VIPs and fashion/beauty enthusiasts packed Gotham Hall to celebrate NaturallyCurly’s signature event Texture on the Runway on Thursday, September 6, kicking off New York Spring 2019 Fashion Week.  Sally Beauty returned as the retail sponsor for the popular runway show. 

This year I was among the crowd. I write about hair health for Real Health magazine and products for my blogs and other outlets, but I never attended a Texture on the Runway show until now. I’m hooked. It was wonderful to see all the fierce sisters on the runway and the audience with glorious waves, coils, curls, fros and locks. (The hair often got in the way of several of my shots, but I had a blast.) 

NaturallyCurly Co-founder Michelle Breyer (L) and recording artist Amara La Negra


This year’s event also celebrated NaturallyCurly’s 20th anniversary. Naturally Curly was founded in 1998 and provided support, inspiration and education to an underserved natural and textured hair community. NaturallyCurly launched Texture on the Runway in 2012. The idea rose out of co-founder Michelle Breyer’s frustration with the lack of diversity and inclusivity on the Fashion Week runways. “As I covered Fashion Week, I was disappointed to see that the models on the runway didn’t reflect the diversity of our community,” she says. “We decided to create an event that celebrated texture and inclusion, and we wanted to do it during Fashion Week.”


The 2018 Texture on the Runway show was definitely a reflection of the crowd, with impressive braids, dreadlocks, twists, afros and textured curls. Presenters on the runway were Camille Rose Naturals, Cantu Beauty, Carol’s Daughter, Creme of Nature, Mielle Organics, SheaMoisture and The Mane Choice.

Camille Rose Naturals

Camille Rose Naturals presented exotic styles influenced by the Amazonian forest, South Pacific and Middle East to reflect the exotic ingredients used in the Around the World collection like Amazonian buriti fruit oil and Middle Eastern oud oil. (More on this in a later post.)

A model walks the Camille Rose runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly


Another exotic look on a model walking the Camille Rose runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Naturally Curly

A model walks the Camille Rose runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly


Cantu Beauty

The “Faces of Cantu: Head Over Heels for Texture” presentation showcased textured hairstyles by hairstylist/textured hair expert Maria Antoinette paired with colorful “kaleidoscope of hope” fabrics from textile designer/artist Melissa A. Mitchell of Abeille Creations.




A model walks the runway for Cantu Beauty. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly


Head over heels for Cantu's colorful show. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly


Carol’s Daughter

Carol’s Daughter co-founder Lisa Price introduced the show by spitting rhymes (!) accompanied by dancers. The presentation featured actual mothers and their daughters as models. Lead stylists Derick Monroe and Gabrielle Corney used the Pracaxi Nectar style line to create the hairstyles.


A model walks the runway for Carol's Daughter. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Naturally Curly



Founder Lisa Price and daughter Becca. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Naturally Curly

A model on the Carol's Daughter runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly


Creme of Nature

Creme of Nature proclaimed that they were shifting the culture and redefining the future of universal style and texture with an Afrofuturism runway featuring the “Afro Punk Urban Queen,” wearing fashions by De La Cruz New York and hairstyles by celebrity hairstylist Pekela Riley.


A model walks the Creme of Nature runway.  Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Naturally Curly

Loved the textured hair (and the glasses) on the Creme of Nature runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Naturally Curly

A model walks the Creme of Nature runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly


Mielle Organics

Hairstyles and looks were inspired by the woman warriors of Wakanda. Lead stylist Key Glover created the styles using the Promenade and Honey collection. There was also a great symbolic message about competition among women to wear the “crown.” The presentation began with the women fighting over who would possess the crown, with one taking the crown from the another, followed by a segment in which they shared the crown. It ended with each queen being presented with her own individual crown. I thought it was a great reminder that we should support one another.


A model walks the Mielle Organics runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Naturally Curly

The Mielle Organics runway show was inspired by the women warriors of Wakanda. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly

A model walks the Mielle Organics runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Naturally Curly


SheaMoisture

SheaMoisture’s “Celebrating Our Shine” presentation showcased the beauty and versatility of textured hair with styles created using the Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen and Restore Hair Care collection overseen by celebrity stylist and SheaMoisture Textured Hair Ambassador Diane C. Bailey. The show also featured Davina Bennett, Miss Jamaica and SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Brand Ambassador.

Davina Bennett walks the SheaMoisture runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Naturally Curly


Closeup of a model on the SheaMoisture runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly

A model on the SheaMoisture runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly

A model walks the SheaMoisture runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly


The Mane Choice

The Mane Choice runway show featured bold, fun and colorful over-the-top hairstyles. Their goal, they said, was to showcase how their brand is taking strides to empower and offer solutions to all textures.


A model walks the runway for The Mane Choice. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly



A model walks The Mane Choice runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly

Amara La Negra Performs

Recording artist and Love & Hip Hop Miami star Amara La Negra performs at Texture on the Runway. Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for NaturallyCurly