In the 18 years that NaturallyCurly has been around, we’ve seen women make vast strides in accepting their natural beauty. More women are rocking their natural texture than ever before, and sharing their journeys publicly for all to learn from. When NaturallyCurly started, “curly” was not a product category you could find on your store shelves, and now we have more options than a Product Junkie knows what to do with.
And yet, mainstream media has been slow to catch up with us. It is still a rare sighting that makes headlines when actresses and models dare to wear their natural curls out in public or, even rarer still, on the catwalk. Have you ever seen a runway look from New York Fashion Week and thought “she looks like me, I’d wear that, we could be curl twins.” We think we know the answer to that question.
One out of 47 models is simply not good enough when sixty percent of the population has textured hair!
In 2015, Maria Borges made history as the first model ever to walk the Victoria’s Secret runway with her own natural hair. As thrilled as we were, we need more representation still. One out of 47 models is simply not good enough when sixty percent of the population has textured hair!
On February 13th 2016, TextureMedia gave curly, coily and wavy hair a platform for representation at New York Fashion Week. Texture Media presented Texture On the Runway, an exclusive runway hair event showcasing curls, coils and waves. We produced Texture On the Runway in 2012, we brought it back in 2016, and we will continue to work until women wearing their natural hair no longer makes the news. We also had some incredibly influential partners who are working with us to reach that goal.
Patrice Grell Yursik, the founder of Afrobella was our esteemed emcee along with NaturallyCurly’s Co-Founder, Michelle Breyer. “I attended Texture on the Runway in 2012 and it was an event I’ll never forget” Patrice says on her blog. “So many beautiful styles, so many beautiful people! All shades and textures of beautiful were in the building that night. It was like a glamorous family reunion, filled with love and hope for the future of natural, kinky, coily, blessed and highly textured hair. Now it’s 2016 and our industry has evolved in so many ways.”
One of those great evolutions is the wide availability of curly products on the shelves at Target, who we are excited to announce was our exclusive retailer partner. Gold Sponsors Au Naturale Dark and Lovely, Cantu, Creme of Nature, Design Essentials and Garnier Fructis put together 5 collections showcasing unique interpretations of curls, coils and waves. Keep an eye on StyleNook for all of the runway looks and products used. Silver Sponsors Curl Keeper, Curls, Jane Carter Solution and ORS Black Olive Oil were also present along with products from our Bronze Sponsors As I Am, ApHogee, Carol’s Daughter, Ecoco, Fantasia and Luster’s Pink. Milani was our makeup sponsor and did all of the makeup for the show. These goody bags were epic, to say the least.
Check out #textureontherunway on all of your social media feeds for more coverage from your favorite bloggers, vloggers, Instagrammers and our Social Media Hostess for the event, Christina of the blog LoveBrownSugar. The grand winners of our VIP Experience Giveaway were also there, along with the top influencers in the industry. Even if you were not in attendance, you can enter to win prize bundles from these brands on NaturallyCurly during the whole month of February. You will also have the chance to save 10% on participating Texture on the Runway brands at Target.
