Two weeks ago, model Kayra Odore went viral on TikTok (hitting 1.3 million likes and over 3,000 comments) for braiding her own hair backstage during fashion week.
The model—recognized by Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Topicals for her animated braiding styles—posted clip of her working against the clock with lead stylist Laurent Philippon’s team at Palomo Spain’s SS25 show.
After being recognized from social media, “[Philippon] told me I can choose whatever braid style I want for the show but we only have 30 MINUTES,” the caption read. While Black models are often seen in straight backs or short afros for shows, Odore and team opted for something different. Specifically, they landed on a middle part with face-framing braids tied with an intricately weaved wire fixed onto the ends. “I literally want to style my own hair for runway shows and campaigns so I was praying this would work out.”
However, despite her caption saying she wanted to help braid her hair (and acknowledging how texture-educated her stylists were), comments still pointed out the disparities Black models face often at the hands of with White stylists backstage.
One comment read “Why couldn’t they do her hair? why does she have to?” Meanwhile, others claimed an off-camera voice “negatively” rushed her to finish her braids in time for makeup, to which she politely responded “give me like 15 minutes.”
With over 40 looks at Palomo Spain, like most shows, each model has a limited time in the hair and makeup chair before the show. To cut down on time, “I usually don’t have people braiding my hair because I show up to most jobs with my hair styled,” Odore tells ESSENCE.
And, although models should not be expected to do their own hair backstage, in her case, she prefers to. “I was beyond excited to braid and come up with concepts but because someone else was doing my hair, I had to be conscious of how to collaborate.”
“I know how to braid my hair quickly because it’s my head,” Odore, who first learned how to braid at 15, says. “I feel the strands on my scalp, I know what works and what doesn’t,” she says— even bringing her own hair products backstage. “Each texture reacts differently to products, they move to gravity differently so of course I would be faster than someone else working in my hair.”
For Odore, fashion month is an opportunity to walk, but also show how creative Black hair can be in an industry that often limits us or mishandles our strands. “I tend to be overly ambitious and I had an even more intricate plan,” she says about her hair look. “But because of the time, and also taking into consideration the fact that I’m not the only one braiding my hair, we found a more ‘realistic’ middle ground.” In other words, expect more big, creative ideas to flow from this animated artist very soon.