Emerging spaces for black hair and beauty specialists

In recent years, big names within the hair and beauty industry have undergone a conscious shift to diversify their product offerings. Ranges increasingly include items for non-white people and make-up ads are more likely to feature black women. The emergence of web 2.0 style icons has given a new generation of black girls tips for styling their hair. This know-how previously wasn’t out there at all, and certainly can’t easily be found on the high street.

These changes have been a long time coming. But opportunities are perhaps more abundant than they’ve ever been for women of colour to enter the personal care industry. As consumers demand hair and beauty for black people, there must be the businesses and specialists to cater for them.

Businesses are identifying the need

In a recent article in The Metro, Natalie Morris explicitly calls for ‘more spaces dedicated to black hair and beauty’.

Morris highlights that, even in the vibrantly multicultural city of London, she still has trouble finding a stylist. She welcomes the new businesses springing up, ‘where a group of black women can learn from and support one another’. Places such as The Peckham Palms, ‘a space where black stylists can develop their craft, work in a co-working environment’.

Businesses like this are a great sign of change. And so too are research papers such as Nielsen’s recent Black Impact. The report found that black US women spend nine times more than their non-Black counterparts on hair and beauty. The figure amounts to about 1.1 billion dollars per year.

A shift on local and global levels

The media and advertising industry certainly plays its part in pushing this change from the top-level to the local context.

Hollywood star Letitia Wright, who is of dual Guyanese and British heritage, is now the face of bareMinerals make-up. In a Glamour article, Wright cites the positive effects of an industry that’s inspiring young women of every skin colour. It’s great ‘to have my little sister and Mum walk into Debenhams and my sister see it’s not impossible’.

At VERCIDA we work with businesses that understand the value of diversity in the workplace. Some sectors are changing more than others. Our job listings work to highlight which companies walk the walk when it comes to welcoming employees from all backgrounds.