Save for the torturous stint without salons during lockdown, I’ve been a committed braids wearer for 10 years. Over that decade, I’ve witnessed a real evolution – and more so than ever in the last year or two. Thanks to the rise of Black-owned hair brands and a new wave of content creators, stylists and celebrities shaping trends on social media, it feels like braids are in the midst of a renaissance.
So much so that after doggedly sticking to the same outdated formula for a long time, I’ve officially been influenced to try out the new-generation extensions, switch to a super-talented mobile braider and experiment with styles that I’ve stumbled across on TikTok. “The customer for braids has definitely grown and diversified,” says Jesse Giwa, who has helped his family’s Fulham-based salon, bring in more Gen-Z customers, along with his sister Rashidat. In his view, it’s a shift that’s been brewing for some time.
The return to natural hair in the 2010s played a big part. “Before this era, we saw a lot more weaves, relaxers and texturisers, but now that’s definitely cooled down.” He also pinpoints Beyoncé’s “Lemonade braids” as a turning point, as well as the popularisation of knotless braids in the mid-2010s.
“It made the look more flat and seamless, and appealed to a larger market.” However, this latest wave, he says, is really being coming out of Lagos, Nigeria, where you’ll find some of the world’s most innovative and skilled braiders.