Fashion and curls collided Thursday as the inaugural ESSENCE Fashion House NYC closed out with Texture On The Runway, and every single look was explosive. The premiere New York Fashion Week event, presented by ESSENCE and Naturally Curly, was a dazzling display of Black beauty, hair, and our unrivaled style.
The stunning showcase featured everything from mesmerizing mohawks to towering topknots created by hairstylist, Stephen Seven Hudson. The New York City-based creative says each look was inspired by art.
“A lot of my inspiration comes from various realms of art,” shared Hudson. “I get inspiration from textures.” And while we don’t typically see the kinky and curly kind on the runway, models strutted down the catwalk doning both of the hair patterns at last night’s spectacular.
Black hair shows like the renown Bronner Bros. International Beauty Show and Texture On The Runway provide a space for women of color to embrace and show off their strands.
“I think it’s extremely important to have conventions and hair shows. It’s another way of showing unity for our culture,” explained Hudson.
“Hair shows bring us together and allow us to be expressive with our hair.” And each of the looks he created artfully articulated the beauty of our vast textures.
See all of the show-stopping hairstyles below.