Inside the New Era of Black Hair Shows in New York City
Gravity-defying puff ponytails, hair coiffed into a bouquet of flowers, and sculpted styles that reached towards the high heavens: These looks and more were on display on Friday night at Black Hair Reimagined: The New Era of Beauty, a new hair show hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, and created by celebrity hairstylist Jawara Wauchoupe and creative director and stylist Jarrod Lacks. The creative minds behind Echelon Noir Productions wanted to stun and inspire: “I wanted to celebrate Black culture at a level that I’ve never seen before,” Wauchoupe said.
Taking over WSA, an arts and production workspace in New York’s financial district, the best friends-turned-creative-duo transformed the space into a mirrored runway to showcase the sculptural stylings of some of the industry’s most innovative celebrity hairstylists, with presentations from Yusef Williams, Vernon François, Cyndia Harvey, Malcolm Marquez, and even Wauchoupe himself. Pioneered by the Bronner Brothers’ International Beauty Show, hair shows like this have long been a cornerstone of art and technique for stylists and entrepreneurs in the Black community. In this space, the energy was palpable as fantasy came to life, with creatives and celebrities including Solange Knowles, Justine Skye, and Paloma Elsesser all watching in awe as bold, whimsical hair styles took the stage.
The show kicked off this year’s Met Gala weekend with an unapologetic celebration of Black art, culture, and creativity through the medium of hair. “We as a culture define what style is and these artists are the people that have helped me define [style] for myself,” Ross exclusively told ELLE ahead of the show. “We and our hair are beyond worthy of celebration and honor. There’s nothing like getting acknowledgement from your community, and the people that you see yourself in and that see themselves in you.”
Hair has long been a cornerstone of Black culture and community. Though often scrutinized and politicized, it is a tool for self-expression and self-definition. For 75 years, hair shows have served as a platform to champion the innovation and artistry of Black beauty and celebrate the limitless possibility of Black hair. Last year, the Bronner Brothers paused its annual shows, but through Black Hair Reimagined, the legacy lives on. “This show felt necessary with the state of what’s happening in the country right now,” Wauchoupe added. “I haven’t been seeing myself and my community being represented lately.”
But beyond this event providing a safe space for unabashed and uncensored Black creativity and joy, this production told the powerful stories of five creatives and how hair has shaped their lives and continues to shape culture. “It’s always our time,” says Williams. “We are architects of fashion and beauty and culture. Black is it, it’s everything and people need to know that we are in these spaces that you don’t see a lot of us in very often, and we’re taking control.” See below for more of the most eye-catching looks and words from the hairstylists themselves.
Nostalgic Heat by Yusef Williams
Opening the show with an explosion of music and glamour, Williams, who has been styling Rihanna's hair since 2009, presented a segment titled Nostalgic Heat, a celebration of the women that he saw growing up in beauty salons in his hometown of Miami, Florida. Hairstyles like asymmetric bobs, afro puffs, and voluminous curls were just some of the classic looks that shaped his childhood. “In the late ’80’s and early ’90s, women just wanted to be fabulous, and this was a celebration of them,” says Williams. “I wanted to pay homage to these strong, powerful women that I knew who were hustlers in every way. I wanted to show how regal and confident they were.” Patti Wilson styled the models in black ensembles featuring bold gold accents. The presentation confirmed the saying that “bigger is better” with puff ponytails and tousled curls that defied gravity.
As the light fell during the second presentation, V V Brown’s song “Will You Wait” signaled an energy shift. As the words “Are you brave? Will you fly? Will you never stop? Find the guts to keep on going,” echoed through the speakers as a rallying cry, models donned huge afros and tall sculptural styles by François, who best known for styling the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Serena Williams, and Solange Knowles. In collaboration with fashion stylist Jan-Micheal Quammie, the looks encapsulated the mission of the entire night’s events: A reclamation of space and persistent pursuit of creativity and hope.
Flowers Only Bloom At Night by Malcolm Marquez
Marquez, the mind behind Doechii’s 2025 Grammy's cornrows and connected braids that she wore to perform on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, took a more metaphorical approach to his segment. “I wanted to showcase how plants in the desert find ways to survive, similar to how Black queer people have, without choice, had to exist in a harsh environment and have had to find a way to build through that,” Marquez tells ELLE. A love letter to the his upbringing in the desert of Arizona, the presentation Showcasing fashion looks inspired by plants, styled by Jessica Willis, the segment featured hairstyles that resembled decaying palm leaves or the sharp points of cactus trees.
Neptune Noir by Cyndia Harvey
In the fourth show of the night, Harvey, who is known for styling Naomi Campbell, Frank Ocean, and Kendrick Lamar took the audience on a voyage through space with Neptune Noir, styled in collaboration with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson. Afro-futuristic styles included a towering long braided cape that swept the runway under blue and purple flashing lights. Techno beats pulsed through the room as towering exaggerated mullet styles moved freely, and the segment closed with a nearly six foot statuesque sculpture of cascading waves.
Nocturnal Opulence by Jawara Wauchoupe
Wauchope’s presentation closed out the night with a segment styled by Carlos Nazario. Inspired by the styles and techniques of women in dancehall, Wauchope aimed to paint styles that were often deemed by society as unpolished or “ghetto” in the sophisticated and glamorous light that he felt they deserved. Partnering with Redken, the stylist created sculpted updos and extra long hair looks embellished with a captivating floral headpiece. “These styles are always made fun of or looked down upon, but I always thought they were the most beautiful creations,” he says. “This was a nod to that era of style, but with a sophisticated and couture vision, using the hair as couture pieces.”
Black Hair Reimagined created a space for lovers and participants of Black artistry to show reverence to the history of cultural hair styling, offering a stage for established and up-and-coming creatives to showcase talent that might otherwise fly under the radar. But this production proved that when there is this much talent in the room, all there is to do is watch and celebrate.
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