an this plzzzhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBM89valaBI
... the other Black experience
Will mainstream attention threaten natural entrepreneurs?
As naturals, we tend to be excited when the ‘mainstream’ picks up on the trends in our community. But what if this attention destroys natural entrepreneurship? I have worked in the beauty industry for the last 11 years as a professional makeup artist. In my retail beauty days, I was often invited to exclusive trainings and launch parties by some of the top tier luxury beauty and hair brands. Over time I noticed something different in the atmosphere; there seemed to be more sprinklings of natural women in various advertisements.
Will mainstream attention threaten natural entrepreneurs?
Words Kat Stephens, Contributing Writer for BGLH
As naturals, we tend to be excited when the ‘mainstream’ picks up on the trends in our community. But what if this attention destroys natural entrepreneurship?
I have worked in the beauty industry for the last 11 years as a professional makeup artist. In my retail beauty days, I was often invited to exclusive trainings and launch parties by some of the top tier luxury beauty and hair brands. Over time I noticed something different in the atmosphere; there seemed to be more sprinklings of natural women in various advertisements.
At a preview of the launch of Frederic Fekkai’s Fall 2010 line an executive teased us with tidbits of a “revolutionary” step for the company; they were launching a set of products with shea butter. The executive went on to say that, for the first time in the company’s history, the ads for the product would feature an ethnic model. In high pitched enthusiasm she went on to say that they were looking to ‘broaden their market share’, and wanted to ‘go after a piece of Carol’s Daughter’s pie’. To hear them state the significance of going after the Carol’s Daughter client hurt my heart.
For years naturals were a segment of the market that major companies ignored. Our hair didn’t matter because — to them — we didn’t have hair that mattered. We had this unruly and difficult thing to deal with that didn’t even warrant a series of products. In this vaccuum, black-owned companies like Oyin Handmade, Miss Jessie’s, Kinky Curly, Carol’s Daughter, Shea Moisture and Curls were able to thrive.
But perhaps the ‘natural movement’ has become a victim of its own success, attracting the attention of major/mainstream companies that are enticed by our disposable income. There are lots of mega companies poised to buy out and block out black-owned businesses. There are alot of companies banking on their ability to throw mediocre products at us, and expecting that we’ll buy them as long as they feature a model that looks like us. These companies are not banking on us being too smart, or too united.
Thanks to YouTube and blogs, the online natural hair communtiy is helping to launch hundreds of what I affectionately call, Naturalprenuers. I will try my hardest to buy my hair products from natural/black-owned businesses. Right now I think that’s the biggest statement we can all make.
What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s important for natural hair products to remain natural/black owned? Why or why not?
Words Kat Stephens, Contributing Writer for BGLH
As naturals, we tend to be excited when the ‘mainstream’ picks up on the trends in our community. But what if this attention destroys natural entrepreneurship?
I have worked in the beauty industry for the last 11 years as a professional makeup artist. In my retail beauty days, I was often invited to exclusive trainings and launch parties by some of the top tier luxury beauty and hair brands. Over time I noticed something different in the atmosphere; there seemed to be more sprinklings of natural women in various advertisements.
At a preview of the launch of Frederic Fekkai’s Fall 2010 line an executive teased us with tidbits of a “revolutionary” step for the company; they were launching a set of products with shea butter. The executive went on to say that, for the first time in the company’s history, the ads for the product would feature an ethnic model. In high pitched enthusiasm she went on to say that they were looking to ‘broaden their market share’, and wanted to ‘go after a piece of Carol’s Daughter’s pie’. To hear them state the significance of going after the Carol’s Daughter client hurt my heart.
For years naturals were a segment of the market that major companies ignored. Our hair didn’t matter because — to them — we didn’t have hair that mattered. We had this unruly and difficult thing to deal with that didn’t even warrant a series of products. In this vaccuum, black-owned companies like Oyin Handmade, Miss Jessie’s, Kinky Curly, Carol’s Daughter, Shea Moisture and Curls were able to thrive.
But perhaps the ‘natural movement’ has become a victim of its own success, attracting the attention of major/mainstream companies that are enticed by our disposable income. There are lots of mega companies poised to buy out and block out black-owned businesses. There are alot of companies banking on their ability to throw mediocre products at us, and expecting that we’ll buy them as long as they feature a model that looks like us. These companies are not banking on us being too smart, or too united.
Thanks to YouTube and blogs, the online natural hair communtiy is helping to launch hundreds of what I affectionately call, Naturalprenuers. I will try my hardest to buy my hair products from natural/black-owned businesses. Right now I think that’s the biggest statement we can all make.
What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s important for natural hair products to remain natural/black owned? Why or why not?
Comment
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Comment by maestroman on September 14, 2010 at 1:14am -
sounds like a plan
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Comment by Sheree Monay on September 14, 2010 at 12:21am -
It should be black owned and anyone who wants a piece of it should seek out black business's; not steal from them. I hardly hear of black business owners trying to steal the potion for Pantene or John Frieda (both are awesome by the way!) and market it to the black community. What these companies need to do is include black and others in their marketing campaign and reach us that way. This is a choice they have made to exclude non white models and just as it is eating away at the porn industry, it will eat away everywhere else.
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Comment by Siralop D. on August 31, 2010 at 12:09pm -
Hm...I'm happy for this list because I have tried Black owned products like Dudley's and they never work but I find more success with Salon hair products and it's sad. Would someone please give me a list of Black owned products that promote natural hair because all of these other hair companies promote that without your hair being permed/relaxed, you will never get the full usage out of the product and I don't do chemicals. :D
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Comment by Fashionfreak on August 24, 2010 at 3:08pm -
I've experimented with both mainstream and black owned products for curly hair (disregarding race just curly hair period) and they both worked out for me so I currently use both. I actually like when I walk in Target and see Kinky Curly or Miss Jessies on the shelf to be honest....As far as some of those companies who put Shea butter in a fancy bottle and sell it for tons of money I refuse to give them my cash. It isn't like Miss Jessie's or something that defines a curl or is used for something specific it's just plain ol Shea with a drop of essential oil in it I can buy that from a local African or Rastaman store and I would prefer to do that (which is what I do for the all natural stuff).
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Comment by t3amBrian on August 24, 2010 at 1:37pm -
Every mainstream product I have tried for natural hair has been an epic fail. My hair gets knotted dry and the direction on the bottle usually are the same directions on the other bottles that aren't for natural hair. I'm sticking with black owned businesses for my hair products. The people who know and care about my hair.
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Comment by Lunakiss on August 24, 2010 at 10:05am -
I wouldn't buy mainstream natural hair care products b/c it probably wouldn't be authentic enough for me. I will continue to support natural black or of African descent products catered to my hair type. So there will always be an open market.
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Comment by maestroman on August 23, 2010 at 6:52pm
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WELL I THINK IT SHOULD BE OURS AND OURS ALONE UNLESS THEY CAN GIVE ME A PRODUCT WITH BETTER OR SIMULAR RESULTS BUT THAT'S A SMALL MATTER IF THE MODELS WHO MODEL FOR MAINSTREAM THEY SHOULD REALLY USE OR HONESTLY SUPPORT THE PRODUCT SO I HAVE TO GIVE SOME BLAME TO THE MODELS FOR SELLING OUT IF THAT'S THE CASE
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