Tell us about your Juneteenth Hair & Fashion show. Where did it take place? What did the event consist of? Our Juneteenth Hair & Fashion show is a show celebrating black hair, culture and lifestyle. It is to highlight the freedom of black people, black hair and bringing different people together. It was held at HAIRBYSUSY in Brooklyn, NY. The event had over 15 different black-owned businesses displaying and selling their products, and we had a mini fashion show featuring different black hair stylists, designers, models and makeup artists. We also had different performances by Playboy Tommy, Roman Sams, Samantha Monique and Katana during the event that showcased their talents. The HAIRBYSUSY team planned all the styles prior to the event, and we had all the models come in to get their hair done the day before. We accessorised the day of the fashion show so it could be fresh and ready!

How did you conceptualise each hair look? We brainstormed and put our ideas together, we wanted the hair artists to come up with their own ideas to showcase their work and to allow freedom of expression. The makeup artist thought of their own ideas to do on the models. It was really about having the freedom to create what you want and having a platform to do it.

Could you describe the atmosphere? The show was so beautiful, there were so many different hair and fashion looks. We added braids on the stairs, paint on the floor. Our hair artists for the show Susan Oludele, Patricia Kaine, Cherise Stewart, Theola Carbon and Nene Bells created all of the looks for the show. They incorporated candy, jewellery, rings, beads, lots of colours and different braids. We saw people with afros, braids, twists and cool haircuts! It was quite an experience!!

For our European readers who may not be as familiar, how do you usually celebrate Juneteenth? We celebrate Juneteenth by getting together to unite and celebrate each other. We also have food and dance which are two very important factors in our culture.