Hair History Lesson: 9 People Who Taught Me About The Depth Of Hair In Kenya

COLOR

Photo Credit: Marsha B.

This gorgeous lady played with color when it came to her braids. I captured her hair because although her braids were red, the color was not overwhelming. Looking at her, I felt a bit more confident about wearing braids that color.

Color has always been a fun way to experiment with hair. In Kenya, adding color to your braids is more of a tradition. The evolution of that tradition is using hair that already has color to it. Bold colors are not taboo or too much in Kenya.

Kenya is full of culture, style and fashion. I was amazed by the range of styles I saw. Sadly I was unable to capture them all. Buzz cuts, bright colors, braids, loccs, Mohawks, weaves, doobies, crochet, faux loccs, you name it, I saw it. Truth is, the styles are no different from the states and if you think about it, most of the styles seen in the states have direct roots in Africa. Funny how things come full circle. I’d ignorantly comment that these styles mimic western culture, neglecting the fact that they originated in the motherland.

I learned so much during my trip to Kenya. I now have a deeper understand of where some styles originated from and I am better at identifying certain people based on their look. What do you think? Were there any key takeaways from these hair stories? Sound off in the comments!