Last year, Grace & Company founder Kimanee Mason landed her adjustable shower caps on the list of Oprah’s Favorite Things. Now, the most-loved purple caps have new Spring/Summer patterns added to the collection. “I’m very passionate about prints and colors and how you can use colors to express yourself,” Mason– who’s introducing two new dual-colored, Mediterranean-style prints– tells ESSENCE. Behind the patterns, however, is also a solution to the former model’s struggle with breakage throughout her 15 year-long career.
Mason grew up in the countryside of Jamaica before being scouted by Elite models in New York at the age of 15. She’s modeled designers like Valentino and Oscar De La Renta, and for beauty brands L’Oréal, Aveda and more. But cycling through editorial hair looks wasn’t so luxurious for her curl health. “I started to really experiment with textiles and how I could use them to solve hair breakage, because that’s something I experienced,” she says. “During fashion week you’re going through like 10 different looks per day and your hair is getting completely destroyed.”
Because of this, the model turned to design, picking up a degree and specializing in the aesthetic of products and interior. “I realized a lot of the products I was using in my everyday routines were not necessarily the best for my hair,” she says. So, by 2016, Mason founded her beauty brand Grace & Company, landing on a line of beauty products including hair towels, eye masks, and pillowcases. Now, she’s reclaiming her curl health with new shower cap patterns.
“Our shower caps are a lifesaver for me because I don’t wash my hair every day,” she says, designing the season’s latest bright, beachy patterns. “I like things to be fun and happy so all of our prints are kind of upbeat.” And the latest caps are no different. Protecting the hair from humidity and water, the first new pattern “Porto” is a leafy Greek-style blue and white color. Meanwhile, “Cora” has a warmer look, with a lighter blue and bright orange dual tone. “I wanted to do something that was appropriate for the season we’re in.”
Although it’s Island season, the pregnant mother of four stays busy. Between hair salon visits and the sweat of motherhood, her shower cap’s water-repelling performance fabric is a crucial detail in her hair care routine. “I need to keep my hair dry because I have that extended time between wash days,” she says, surviving off of the most effective, efficient products. “Beauty is very important for me, but functionality, of course, needs to work well regardless of how it looks,” Mason continues. “We also have some products [coming soon] that are not yet existing and we’re very excited about that as well.”