How One Stylist Is Winning The Battle For Hair Diversity On The Runway

Hairstylist Orlando Pita is passionate about diversity at Fashion Week. So much so that he says he no longer gives designers a choice when it comes to letting models wear their natural texture on the runway.  

“It’s been a hard fight for me,” said Pita. “It’s taken me ten years, but I’m finally getting designers to accept people’s textures.” 

The Latino hair vet says that he doesn’t care if wavy and curly textures aren’t considered “fashionable.”

“Hair for me is beautiful in all shapes, sizes and textures,” he said. He also attributes the lack of diversity to an old-school way of thinking. 

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Backstage at Jason Wu, where Pita’s creating 90’s-inspired double textured looks (slicked in the front and wavy in the back) for the Spring/Summer 2017 season, he revealed to ESSENCE that young designers like Wu give him creative flexibility while more seasoned designers aren’t as open-minded. 

“I don’t even wait until the conversation comes up. I just say ‘this is how the girls with natural texture are going to wear their hair.’” he said. “I’m not even giving them a choice anymore.” 

Well bravo, Mr. Pita for helping us show that #alltexturesmatter!