The 30th annual Essence Festival, a vibrant three-day event highlighting African-American music, culture, and community, touched down in New Orleans on July 5th. The Texture Of Change™ made its second appearance at the iconic weekend-long festival, showcasing our commitment to diversity, equity, and education.
TTOC joined the L'Oréal House of Beauty activation this year alongside CeraVe, Carol's Daughter, La Roche Posay, and IT Cosmetics on the BeautyCon @ Essence Fest floor for an all-encompassing digital beauty experience. As the festival kicked off, attendees poured through the doors with electric energy, making a beeline straight to our booth. The TTOC comb wall, a perfect backdrop for Essence Fest content, was a hit among visitors who snapped photos and connected with our volunteers to learn more about our mission. As they navigated through our booth, our manifesto video played in the background, reinforcing the powerful impact of our goals. Exiting the booth, visitors were encouraged to contribute to our sentiment wall, sharing what texture equity means to them before signing the petition. Everyone who signed the petition was gifted a custom TTOC comb, and those who followed us on Instagram entered to win a giveaway, increasing our follower count by over 100 and resulting in more than 4500 petition signatures.
Our incredible ambassadors, including Jamal Edmonds, Tippi Shorter-Rank, and Michelle O'Connor, each took the L'Oreal House of Beauty stage for a segment titled "Texture Transformations: Breaking Boundaries and Shaping Trends." Each ambassador showcased jaw-dropping editorial styles they created, sharing the insider tips and tricks they use to transform textured tresses without compromising the integrity of the hair.
On day two, we teamed up with Naturally Curly and fellow House of L'Oréal brands Carol's Daughter, Essie, and NYX for the highly anticipated return of Texture On The Runway, which celebrity stylist Johnny Wright hosted. While hair is often an afterthought or a mere accessory on the runway to highlight the fashions, TOTR turns that notion on its head, putting coils and curls at the forefront with awe-inspiring styles showcasing textured hair's true versatility. From structural updos and afros to art-inspired braids, our ambassadors pushed the boundaries of textured hair to the limits.
The main event may have been at the convention center, but day three took our TTOC ambassadors a few miles across town for Trell Thomas's iconic Black Excellence Brunch sponsored by L'Oréal and Salon Centric. The Black Excellence Brunch is a place for Black leaders in the industry to connect and celebrate Black culture's impact on every sector. Edmonds, Shorter-Rank, and O'Connor crafted textured editorial styles inspired by the trends of years past, with each style representing a different decade to showcase the rich history of Black hair. A hair show complete with a New Orleans second-line band set the vibe for a celebratory afternoon that honored the likes of journalist and political commentator Angela Rye, Black Beauty Roster founder Maude Okrah-Hunter, and actress Marsai Martin.
The Texture Of Change™ is proud to have had such an impactful presence at Essence Fest, reaffirming our commitment to elevating and celebrating all hair textures.
Keep the momentum going, and sign the petition to help us bring texture equity and education nationwide!
Next: More States Mandate Textured Hair Education in Cosmetology Schools
