Gabby Douglas is the 2012 Olympic gold medal winner in the women’s all-around competition and gold medal winner (for team U.S.A.) in the women’s team competition.
I’ve been glued to the TV screen, completely hooked on watching the summer Olympics. Swimming is spectacular and volleyball is worth viewing, but for me, it’s all about women’s gymnastics. Maybe it’s because I’m also extra petite (#teamtiny!), but I just admire gymnasts’ strength and agility.
This Olympics, we were not only treated to a gold medal from the U.S. women’s team–“The Fab Five”–but we’ve also been blessed with a historic moment. Gabby Douglas is the first African-American woman to win the women’s all-around gold medal!! Applause all around! Oh, the tears of joy!
This moment is peppered by the appearance of a few headlining, naturally curly hair. Here’s a rundown of summer 2012’s Olympic hair.
Gabby Douglas – This 16-year-old domino caught our attention with her performance during the team competition. She then took it to the next level and killed it in the all-around competition, winning another gold medal.
Jasmine Breinburg, star of the Olympics’ opening ceremony, who set Twitter on fire.
Unfortunately, she’s also gotten attention for her pulled back, straight mane. Shame on you curlies out there giving her flack! Tsk tsk! Maybe now you’ll relax and respect the energy and focus Gabby paid to her craft and not to aesthetics. While I love a fierce fro like the next one, let’s give the girl a break and applaud her. And if you can’t, I want to see your tumble pass! Uh, huh.
Jasmine Breinburg – The opening ceremony of this year’s games included a surreal segment directed by Danny Boyle of Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, and Trainspotting fame. While cute little kids pretended to sleep on beds and danced in the street, my eyes were glued on a love story portrayed by Jasmine Breinburg, an 18-year old dancer and rising star. Breinburg was selected to play the lead role, and I’m sure her curly mane had at least a smidgen of influence. Apparently the Brits went batty for her stunning beauty and hair the moment the ceremony aired, as Twitter went ablaze with comments about Breinburg. Click here to read more about Jasmine Breinburg from the Daily Mail.
Former gymnast Dominique Dawes gives a talk in London. Photo Credit: David Mercer/USAT
Dominique Dawes – During tonight’s gymnastics coverage, the camera zoomed in on Dominique … and her natural hair (see video below)!
“I advise black women to go natural and stop relaxing your children’s hair, too,” Dawes says. “At 35 years old I finally embraced my natural locks. It was liberating and empowering for me. I wish I would have done it sooner.”
Dawes was a member of the 1996 U.S. National Women’s Team aka The “Magnificent Seven,” the team that famously included Kerri Strug, Shannon Miller, and proud coach Bela Karolyi. Dominique competed in three Olympic games, winning team medals in all of them and one bronze. She is the first female African-American gymnast to win an individual medal. No one could kill it on the floor like Dominique! Tonight, she proudly watched from the stands as Gabby Douglas back flipped and split her way to gold.
Check out Dominique’s interview (and her natural hair) as she emotionally discusses Gabby’s win. I dare you to keep a dry eye! So proud of them!!
Below: Former U.S. Gymnast Dominique Dawes discusses Gabby Douglas’ Olympic performance and shares life lessons.
Below: Dancer and opening ceremony star Jasmine Breinburg is briefly interviewed.
On the left: My curly mane in 2009/2010. Note the straight piece in the front. On right: My curly mane in 2012.
You’ve done the big chop or transitioned into having natural hair. Now what? Aside from picking up a few essential tools (click here for a listing), there is one thing you should immediately do—pull out your camera and strike your best pose. It’s time to document your hair!
If you’ve read my hair story (click here for details), you’ll know that I grew out my heat damaged strands a few years ago. In doing so, I placed myself on a no flat iron diet (my curls were scrawny enough!) and cut off several inches of damaged ends. I also spent a lot of time looking at my curly mane. No, it wasn’t a “fairest of them all” moment. I was adjusting to seeing myself without straight tresses and analyzing my curls. I could see the front and sides, but I couldn’t see the back of my head. Plus, I wanted to see my hair as other people saw it, so I picked up a camera.
Documenting your hair journey through photos or videos is one of the most important things that you can do. It can help you to:
Remember the products that worked for you. I hope that you don’t go down the deep, dark path that is product junkism (guilty, hangs head in shame). Should you make that wrong turn, your photos will help you to know which products are winners and which can join the collection under your bathroom sink.
Nail down a routine. As you try new styles and products, you may lose track of what’s actually working for you. Your photos/video will serve as a guide towards establishing healthy hair habits and lock down the right products and techniques for you.
Obtain a true view. It’s one thing to look in a mirror and completely another to see your hair on camera and/or animated on film. With a record, you’ll know how your curls stack up against itself through different seasons and over periods of time.
Monitor health and identify setbacks. Before the summer, I spent several months straightening my hair … Yes, I relapsed a bit (guilty, hangs head in shame … again). As a result, I had to trim a few inches of split and knotted ends. By looking at my pics, I can see how excessive straightening dried out my hair and prevented me from gaining my desired length (see attached photo). Now I can adjust my routine as needed.
Stay motivated. If it weren’t for taking photos, I would believe that my hair hasn’t progressed much over the past 3 years. Fortunately, this blog has forced me to revisit my collection of images. Gone are the highlights I once had (When did they grow out?), and hello length! For the longest time, I’ve been doing the dance between feeling as if my hair is growing (I’m on a quest for length) and completely writing it off as stubbornly fixed at another length. Seeing these improvements, I know how far I’ve come and how close I can be to my hair goal—waist length tresses (crossing fingers)!
On left: My curly mane in May 2012, with ragged ends. On right: My curly mane with fresh ends in July 2012.
With commuting, work, family, school, and hopefully play, our lives are full. You may believe that this leaves little room for photo shoots. I completely understand. Please understand that you don’t need to devote a lot of time to this, especially if you are taking photos for your own safekeeping.
When trying a new product or ’do, take a quick snap or two from your camera/camera phone. That’s all you need. You don’t even need to face the camera, as the focus is on your hair … unless you want to ham it up, of course!
Capture the moment now and reflect on them later. Who knows, like our fave bloggers and vloggers, your documentary may inspire someone else. At the very least, it will allow you to monitor the evolution of your curly mane.
Are you chronicling your curls? If so, in what form?
From left, Gail O’Neill and Roshumba Williams model in the July 2012 issue of Essence magazine.
I was in the middle of whipping up my favorite pasta dish when I took a moment to flip through this month’s Essence magazine. I stopped mid page turn and gasped as I curlspotted two of my favorite supermodels from the 90’s–Roshumba Williams and Gail O’Neill.
Growing up, I admired Roshumba’s long legs, toned body, and of course, her afro. Roshumba was the only model I knew with short, natural hair, and she wore it well. In the Sports Illustrated swimsuit specials that aired on TV, you could easily spot Roshumba with her delicious, chocolate complexion and bone structure. She didn’t need long, flowing hair to be sexy. She just was, and her afro was an accessory to her beauty rather than the central piece of it.
Where Roshumba caught me at afro, Gail’s long, natural hair had me at a loss for words. Whether straight or curly, it looked full and healthy. On her own, Gail is stunning, but her hair amplifies her beauty. I always looked forward to seeing her in magazines because she was so striking and a good model. She was one of the rare examples of real, naturally curly, black hair.
In my previous post on the return of MTV’s House of Style, I mentioned that we are past the era of the supermodel. While we do have well-known models whom we can even call supermodels, it isn’t like before. Supermodels were revered, so much so that we regular un-super humans knew them by first name.
While the period has passed, let’s honor both ladies. For their contributions to fashion as black models who proudly displayed their natural hair, I am happy to announce that Roshumba Williams and Gail O’Neill are the first inductees into My Curly Mane’s Hair Hall of Fame!
Photos of Roshumba Williams and her afro
Photos of Gail O’Neill and her long, natural hair (a short haired pic is included)
Cindy Crawford interviews model Linda Evangelista backstage at the Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo show in 1990. Photo: MTV
Turn back the clocks to circa 1990. I’m wearing “my uniform” consisting of black jeans and a navy blue top. It was my uniform because I wore it nearly every day. Blame it on wearing school uniforms as a child or just plain comfort, but that was the extent of my external fashion.
While I wasn’t outwardly styled, internally I-loved-fashion. I couldn’t get enough of Vogue, Ebony, InStyle, etc. You name it, and I had to read it. I also had to watch it all: Videofashion, Fashion Television (loved it!), Style with the highly intelligent and posh Elsa Klensch, and the biggie–MTV’s House of Style. Yes, that of which was memorably hosted by Cindy Crawford.
Well, we’re in for good news. Word on the street is that House of Style is making a comeback this fall! I am really excited about this. I know that there have been previous attempts to revive the show, but now, with a new generation of young trendsetters, perhaps this one will work.
Israeli model and curlie Esti Mamo
But who will host it? We are past the era of the supermodel (I knew them all!). Wait. Moment of silence. Resume. Given this, I anticipate that the host will be either a Victoria’s Secret model or an actress/personality known for her fashion styling. I’m placing my bet on either Adriana Lima, Gisele Bundchen, or Kendall Kardashian. More K love? Of course, you know that I would root for any curly girl. Hey, hair and fashion go hand in hand! I suggest Israeli model Esti Mamo or U.S. model Chanel Iman.
“There’s a lot of thinking that’s going into figuring this role out, when this announcement will be, and who the type of person is who we want to be the face of [the show],” says Sophia Rai, vice president of digital production at MTV.
We’ll just have to wait and see when the host is revealed at the MTV Movie Awards on September 6. Stay tuned! To get you warmed up, MTV is airing a documentary on the show which will air on August 7. Let’s check out the trailer and look back at a classic episode of MTV’s House of Style.
Below: The trailer for the MTV documentary on House of Style. I watched every episode!
Below: From the archives–an early episode of House of Style. Look at how young Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Veronia Webb, and Linda Evangelista were! Baby models. They’re all still gorgeous. Miss the supermodel era. Sigh.
We all know that her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, but what’s the secret to singer Kelis’ curls?
Her luscious, thick curly mane is as easily identifiable as her vocal sounds. From the bold, “look at me” colors to the fluffy coils, Kelis may be in Hair Hall of Fame territory.
I spotted Kelis’ curls … or better yet, her fluffy waves during the July 13th episode of Fashion Police (video below). While I miss her textured, curly strands, I was digging her new ‘do. It appeared to be the result of a rollerset, flipped out and curled ala Judy Jetson. There may also be some “magic hair” involved. An apparent lover of colors, Kelis stylized the look with violet highlights.
I personally like the look but believe that her natural curls are more flattering. It’s her signature. A little over a decade ago, when I was hooked on hair color (the brighter the better), I can’t tell you what I would have done for the blond and pink colored curls she once sported.
On a side note, I have always loved Kelis’ eccentric music and eclectic style. When she first arrived on the scene, it was deemed too far out for some, but little did we know that Kelis was just ahead of her time–pre-Gaga, Nicki, and Katie (I knew it!). I am still a fan of her video for “Caught Out There.” She may have been screaming “I hate you so much right now,” but I was thinking “I love your curly mane!”
You may also remember her uber long, straightened (and perhaps also magically enhanced) hair in “Get Along With You.” That video is reminiscent of Madonna’s “Bedtime Stories” with a Tim Burton flare. It ventures into Tool (remember that band?) territory and always reminds me of my absolute favorite artist and the director of the soundtrack of my life, Bjork. So it was no surprise to find Kelis sharing pictures of her hanging out with Bjork during her interview with Fashion Police’s Joan Rivers.
Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts on Kelis’ new look.
In our previous discussion on the politics of natural hair, we talked about politicians’ and their spouses’ hair. Today we look at the “natural hair movement,” as highlighted by MSNBC commentator Melissa Harris-Perry (love her!), who’s known for her long twists–not locks/dreads (as referred to by my Caribbean bredrens). The videos are included further below.
During the June 10th episode of her show, Harris-Perry interviewed a group of well-known and intelligent, natural haired women. The panel included actress and newly natural gal, Nicole Ari Parker, as well as blogger Nikki Walton of CurlyNikki. Hair-raising highlights and facts include:
Fact: Black hair care products have totaled $185M
Fact: In 2011, 36% of black women did not straighten their hair (via perms)
In regards to the “natural hair movement,” Nikki Walton says, “It’s about empowering textured women.”
A shout out to Hair Rules’ salon by Nicole Ari Parker (love her hair and applaud her for going natural). I can’t speak for the salon, but Hair Rules’ Quick Curls has been a life saver for my wash and gos thus far.
Fact: In 2006-2011, sales of hair relaxers dropped by 17%.
Anthea Butler of the University of Pennsylvania describes the “tumble weaves of hair in Harlem.” I nearly died hearing her describe this. Having worked right by Harlem, I am familiar with the many beauty supply stores … and tumbling strands of “good hair!”
How our fathers’ (and men in general) acceptance of us has a lot to with our own acceptance of our hair. How many times have you second guessed a natural ‘do because you weren’t sure if your significant other or the powerful male figure in your life would approve of it?
I think the interview was spot on. Melissa Harris-Perry gave kudos to all the black women who proudly sported their majestic curly manes well before it was the hip thing to do. I second that emotion and give credit to Angela Davis, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, and all the trailblazing women in that category.
Perhaps next time Harris-Perry can conduct a follow-up in-depth analysis on why so many black women are currently choosing to embrace their natural hair (blame it on the recession, the influx of natural hair resources, or our new-found love of our hair?). It would be interesting if we compared and contrasted this with our Caucasian curly girls and their relationship with their textured hair. They have a journey as well.
That’s my two cents but what are your thoughts on this coverage? Check out the videos below.
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