Something smells fishy about Andre Walker’s new natural hair product line. If you are unaware, Andre Walker is Oprah Winfrey’s hair guru. He’s the man who tracked down that 3.5 pound wig for her September 2013 cover, as well as the man who in 2011 told ELLE magazine that he always recommends women embrace their natural texture, except, of course, if you have kinky hair. For Type 4 he told ELLE, “Kinky hair can have limited styling options; that’s the only hair type I suggest altering with professional relaxing.”
In 2011, this comment threw the natural hair community into a frenzy. After all, a professional stylist recommending relaxers for women with kinky hair and obviously drawing a line between workable textures and those that just aren’t is all too familiar territory for those of us who have had stylists recommend damaging treatments according to their personal bias.
It looks like for Walker, though, it has been a long two years since his comment was first came out and now, in 2013, he is releasing a natural hair product line. The line will include a sulfate free shampoo, conditioner, styling gel, styling creme and additional products that will help to smooth out and straighten your curls and coils.
Andre Walker’s Gold System products for kinky, curly and textured hairWhile the products that encourage wearing your hair natural seem to have the ingredient list rights (no-sulfates, no parabens, low on silicones”>, the real question is will the natural hair community bite?
His producing a natural hair care line is much like Patti Stanger suddenly deciding to promote curls – but only on the heels of an announcement that she found a boyfriend who loves her hair curly only. Walker’s line is launching as L’Oreal and other major brands hop on the lucrative natural hair bandwagon. The announcement also coincided with the preparations for Oprah’s big hair cover.
According to Juicy Magazine, “The Andre Walker Hair line, created for women who are looking to transition and become natural, promises to treat, condition and style African-American, ethnic and textured hair types without the use of chemical relaxers and straighteners.”
Despite the PR, we suspect this line may serve more as a reflection of the profitability of the natural hair industry than a shift in Andre’s personal opinion. And that makes us wonder: will you buy it?
