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When Melody Henderson and a number of other of her just lately natural-haired associates first met in a Brooklyn condo, they’d no concept they have been planting the seeds for what would change into the biggest pure magnificence pageant in America: CURLFEST®. Per their web site, that night time, they bonded over shared tales, product swaps, and the sheer pleasure of discovering a group that understood the distinctive journey of embracing pure hair. What began as a small gathering blossomed into Curly Lady Collective, an occasion enterprise with a mission to have fun and uplift ladies with naturally textured hair. Quick ahead ten years, and CURLFEST® stands as a strong testomony to that mission.
Based in 2014 with simply 1,000 attendees, CURLFEST® has grown exponentially, attracting over 75,000 individuals from throughout the globe. It isn’t only a pageant; it’s a “magical motion”—100% Black-owned and devoted to redefining magnificence requirements in America. The pageant presents an area the place pure magnificence isn’t solely accepted however celebrated, creating a strong platform for girls of all shades and textures to shine.
MadameNoire sat down with Melody Henderson, one of many visionary founders, to debate the unbelievable journey to CURLFEST® 10, its affect on the pure hair group, and the way forward for this groundbreaking pageant, which takes place this Saturday, August 17, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Prospect Park’s Lena Horne Bandshell.
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MadameNoire: Let’s speak all issues CURLFEST®. For many who have no idea, inform us about Curly Lady Collective and CURLFEST®.
Melody Henderson: We began again in 2011. It was a bond that grew from a central want all of us had: we have been seeking to see extra of ourselves and actually perceive what we might do with our pure hair. On the time, it was a pivotal second the place the sweetness business hadn’t seen us in any respect. So, we took a stance as associates to create an surroundings and a group for that. We began in one in all my co-founders’ residing rooms. It started as a textual content thread. We felt a sort of magic in individual, and we knew that was one thing we might scale. That’s how Curly Lady Collective began.
Relating to CURLFEST®, we constructed our group fairly organically; we’re the definition of grassroots. On the time, with social media, we began there as a result of we requested, “How can we attain a number of individuals exterior of our fast circle?” It was very eye-opening to understand it wasn’t simply our fast circle that wanted what we needed to provide—it was actually our group at giant.
CURLFEST® was born out of necessity. We might do smaller occasions, and they might promote out in seconds—like 200, 300 individuals. Listening to our group, we requested, “What might we do to create an even bigger alternative for extra individuals to attend? What if we do one thing exterior?” In some ways, CURLFEST® manifested itself earlier than we even realized its full potential. And since we referred to as it a pageant, through the years, we have been in a position to develop it.
You spoke it into existence. And right here we’re, 10 years later, again the place you began, in Brooklyn, New York. Inform us extra concerning the return of CURLFEST® to Brooklyn.
I believe we’re massive believers that every part occurs for a motive. Once we first set out for CURLFEST® 2024, it was really alleged to be at a distinct location. We confronted challenges, and in true entrepreneurial kind, we realized we needed to be resilient, proper? So, it opened up a possibility to come back again to Brooklyn, which is the place we first began. Our viewers had been asking for this for fairly a while.
There’s one thing actually serendipitous about having the ability to return to Brooklyn. I’m from Brooklyn; I’m one of many founders, so we’re actually enthusiastic about it.
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This yr marks the tenth anniversary of CURLFEST®. What are among the most important milestones that CURLFEST® has achieved, and the way have they formed the pageant’s evolution?
I believe at its core, for the reason that inception, it’s at all times been about our group. Every little thing we do, each step we take, each choice we make, is grounded in what our group wants. With that in thoughts, this query is hard as a result of there have been so many moments the place we’ve validated that want.
Once we take into consideration the affect we’ve made, we’re very happy with being pioneers, in lockstep with so many others. Once we first began, we didn’t even see our merchandise on retailer cabinets, proper? So, it was a possibility for us to create an area for training and empowerment, and we’ve continued to try this alongside the way in which. The identical goes for our small enterprise distributors. A few of them began with us from day one, and now they’re on the cabinets of Goal and comparable shops.
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By way of attendee expertise, stroll us by what we will count on on the pageant.
I’d say, traditionally—not our phrases, however the group’s—CURLFEST® is magic. There are a number of aspects to that have and the way it involves life. I believe attendees ought to include an open thoughts, curiosity, and a need to be celebrated for who they’re, nonetheless they select to indicate up. That’s most likely the largest takeaway. There’s a stage of empowerment and training, however there’s one thing magical that occurs after we collect in numbers.
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To buy tickets for CURLFEST® go to CURLFEST.com or go on to Ticketmaster. To maintain up to date on every part curly, comply with the Curly Lady Collective on Instagram and CURLFEST® on TikTok.
