Why, As A Black Woman, I’m Proud To Have Modelled For The Braid Bar

I found myself in the worst quandary. As someone who cares about representationin the media, modelling for the Braid Bar didn’t initially sit well with me. Up until recently, my response to any brand that exploited otherness was a side-eye and a mental block. But then this happened:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVDBA5hAYiH/

At the start of the jolly new year, the press and social media worlds went on a finger-pointing rampage.

In many respects, it was totally justified. A hip brand with a cult, gen-Z following called the Braid Bar came under fire for over-indulging in cultural appropriation.

Some would say the concept of the brand alone was offensive: a braid booth in Selfridges offering the kind of hairstyles typically associated with black culture, priced very competitively and aimed at the spawns of the wealthy and famous.

While there had been rumblings from the occasional blog, the brand had generally been adored by celebrities like Cara Delevingne – as well as certain parties of the British press, namely: Stylist, The Telegraph and Vogue. Ahem.

View this post on Instagram

#TBT ?? braidin these baes for #glasto2016 ? are you booked in with us ahead of your next festival?? #braidbaes #braidybunch #festivalhair #caradelevigne #sukiwaterhouse ??

A post shared by THE BRAID BAR (@the_braid_bar) on Jul 6, 2016 at 11:38pm PDT

The semblance of tranquility was broken when Radio 1 presenter and influencer Clara Amfo spoke out about being contacted by the Braid Bar.

They’d offered her a free ‘do in exchange for a shout out to her considerable following.
Amfo was having none of it and, along with a screenshot of the message as proof, posted a long comment about the cosmic joke of being asked to advertise a brand that does not represent you, but profits from your culture.

“FACT: I have thick unrelaxed…afro textured hair. FACT: When I looked on this account 90% of the images are of white women with European hair. Women like me are NOT represented here.”
– Clara Amfo

Then the press had a BOGOF deal when, Kate Moss’ daughter modelled for the Braid Bar in May. Predictably, she was also caught up in the cultural appropriation …

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