CurlyCon LA, a premier event for natural hair enthusiasts, returned—bigger and better—for its second year of programming over the weekend. With appearances from curl icons like Tabitha Brown and Ashley Everett, creator faves Bri Hall, Fola Amudipe, and more, the weekend convening left attendees feeling empowered, educated, and most importantly, seen.
To set the scene from this sunny spring day: curl enthusiasts, or “curlfriends” as the community affectionately calls each other, filed into the Rolling Greens DTLA space with jovial energy. “Transported” to the coasts of Saint Tropez, the vibrant and fashionably-clad curl community was enveloped in a warm floral atmosphere with citrus-adorned floral arrangements and dusty pink canopies galore.
Where the first year of CurlyCon brought beautiful programming and important conversations, year two expanded while keeping attendees’ specific needs and interests in mind. Highlights included mainstage panels, a bustling marketplace, immersive curl demonstrations, kids’ corner, and an abundance of gorgeous photo opps.
Ava Pearl, the founder and CEO of CurlyCulture, the digital community that powers CurlyCon, says that consideration is what birthed this year’s Marketplace addition and pointed discussions. After the curl demos from last year, attendees were eager to learn more about specific products, and also wanted more conversation for differing curly hair experiences.
To Pearl, the purpose and perspective are clear: “It’s such a vulnerable and safe space. It’s beautiful to see more kids here this year and see them light up when they see representation for themselves and different curly hair textures,” she says. “It’s also so heartwarming to hear that people are coming from other states or countries [to attend] and just reassures me that I’m on the right path and that this is really something that people need and want.”
Star-stacked panel discussions offered nuanced perspectives on parenting curly children, the chemistry behind curly products, experiences of type 4 textured-naturals, and social media tips from industry professionals and content creators. Cosmetic chemists and professional stylists educated the crowd on how to discern effective ingredients, products, and methods.
Then, faith-based creator Ayomide Adeduro shared a word with the type 4 naturals who may struggle to accept their curls, “honoring your hair is a form of honoring God. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.” Meanwhile, mothers offered gems to empower parents and little ones alike to believe that their curls are a special occasion. “As long as they’re happy and their hair is healthy, I’m happy,” expressed curl specialist and creator Felicia Dickerson.
To surmise a throughline message from many of the discussions: trial and error is okay! Do what works for you, don’t get bogged down by the hype of viral products that may not apply to your curls, and look to your overall health — internal and external — to understand your hair needs.
Stepping into the newly-added Marketplace, one could find interactive booths. Rizo’s Curls, for example, conducted hair consultations. Youtube brought people into an immersive creative studio, Maui Moisture and Curl Smith delivered product education, and Pattern Beauty and Cantu performed live demonstrations and giveaways for interested attendees.
The rest of the Marketplace was colored with meaningful installations, with more opportunities for discussion and understanding. Shea Moisture was ever-so clever with their product displays, as they had representatives walk around with half of their hair styled with their new Kalahari Melon Oil Curl Stretch line, and the other half unstyled, to show the curl elongation products in action.
A one-on-one curl consultation with Sarah Sango —curl specialist with Lush who also happened to develop the line’s company’s curly hair collection—left me with newfound tips on how to maximize product and nutrient absorption for my low porosity, dense curls. Sango asked me about my curl routine until we landed on a recommendation to try Lush’s supermilk: a leave-in hair primer that encourages hair cuticles to lift to ensure improved absorption.
To bring the full day into focus was the fireside chat featuring actress and entrepreneur Tabitha Brown. The owner of Donna’s Recipe, another successful, Black-owned natural hair care line, sat down with Ava Pearl to discuss her life journey, career, and personal relationship to her curls. The candid discussion evolved into a beautiful moment between Brown and the entire room, as she took the opportunity to connect with avid listeners and share an inspirational word or two, “I only do things that are in alignment and feel right in spirit. People and companies can change, so we just make sure we can pivot when that happens.”
