Inside Black Hair Reimagined: The New Era Of Beauty Hair Show

On Friday, May 2nd, Echelon Noir Productions founders— visionary hairstylist Jawara Wauchope and Brand Marketing Creative Jarrod Lacks— presented Black Hair Reimagined: The New Era of Beauty Hair Show. Taking over WSA in New York City, the show didn’t just shut the venue down, it transformed the energy in the building completely. 

Hosted by the actress and founder of Pattern Beauty Tracee Ellis Ross, the show unfolded in six distinct and thoughtfully curated segments—each spotlighting dynamic collaborations between top hairstylists and fashion stylists. This included Yusef Williams with Patti Wilson, Vernon François with Jan-Michael Quammie, Malcolm Marquez with Jessica Willis, Cyndia Harvey with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, and Jawara himself with Carlos Nazario. 

With major sponsors, like L’Oreal’s Texture of Change and Pattern Beauty, the show served as a powerful, celebratory kickoff to MET Gala weekend, blending high fashion with heritage, storytelling, and innovation. It was more than a runway—it was a reclamation. A modern ode to the hair shows we grew up on and loved, reimagined with high editorial flare and intentionality.

When asked about the inspiration behind the event, “I was going to all of these events and galas and I didn’t see any of myself in them,” Jawara exclusively tells ESSENCE backstage. “We are at a time in this country where I want to rejoice and be expressive of myself and my culture. So, I wanted to put together a hair show. Which I don’t feel we’ve seen at this level with these artists and people that work in fashion.”

Upstairs on the 26th floor of WSA, the energy backstage was calm but electric. Everyone—from stylists to glam teams—was working toward a shared goal: to elevate and celebrate Black hair in all its forms. Key makeup artists Sheika Dailey and Sir John painted faces with care and precision, right beside hairstylists bringing their visionary looks to life. Every detail mattered. 

Even the nails were a moment of artistry, perfectly styled for each segment by nail artist Dawn Sterling. “We worked with the stylists, the hair and the makeup together to create the nail looks,” Sterling says. She walked us through the inspiration behind each nail design, clearly in sync with the creative direction of each segment. Sterling spoke with such ease and intention, showing just how closely she collaborated with each hairstylist to bring their concepts to life. 

When it came to Vernon François’ segment, her face lit up with excitement. “Vernon sent me a beautiful soundtrack and a palette of earth tones–browns and nudes.” She continues on to describe François’ section, “It’s like they are not from here. It’s futuristic, chic–alien from 2030.” To execute the look, Sterling teamed up with a friend of hers from Japan. After she sketched out the design, he brought it to life using a 3D printer. From there, she and her team airbrushed and hand-finished each nail. As she held one of the nails in her hand, inviting ESSENCE to feel its texture, she said simply but confidently: “This is the future of nails.” 

Meanwhile, on the 41st floor, anticipation buzzed in the air as guests began to arrive. The space filled with fashion insiders, artists, editors, and cultural tastemakers—each one ready to witness a show that was less about trends, and more about truth and tradition. Tracee Ellis Ross kicked the show off welcoming everyone as though they were family, describing all the ways in which our hair kinks, coils and waves into various styles and paying homage to the hair shows of the past. Just before this, on the red carpet, she exclusively tells ESSENCE Senior Beauty Editor Akili King, “I get the best seat in the house,” she says. “I’m excited to be a part of this evening, kicking off a weekend with artists I love, who I think are at the forefront of defining what beauty and style are.”

Below for an inside look at Black Hair Reimagined.

Yusef Williams – Nostalgic Heat

The evening officially kicked off with Yusef Williams’ segment, Nostalgic Heat. “I grew up in Miami—I want the music, I want the bad b*tch energy,” Williams tells ESSENCE. “My girls are powerful, strong, and ghetto fabulous. It’s Black hair redefined and elevated—just beautiful, as it’s always been.”

And his presentation delivered exactly that. As the lights dimmed to a sultry red and ‘80s club beats pulsed through the room, dancers stormed the runway, transforming it into a full-on Miami nightlife moment. Each model’s hair was bold, sculptural, and unapologetically fabulous—perfectly aligned with Williams’ vision of a glamorous, throwback fantasy. A combination of hairspray, pins, and True Pure Texture Hair helped bring the look to life, adding volume, hold, and attitude to every strut.

Vernon François – Freedom Is Priceless

Vernon François introduced his segment, Freedom Is Priceless, by saying it was inspired by “the opportunity to reimagine,” he says. “I operate extraordinarily well in discomfort. Being uncomfortable gives you the chance to learn about yourself. When you’re faced with something unfamiliar—something outside of what you’ve been conditioned to see—you often discover parts of yourself you didn’t know were there.”

The segment opened with a powerful monologue from a woman sharing how the world had made her feel like her hair wasn’t good enough. That maybe, if she straightened it, she could be “just white—just right.” A raw and honest moment that set the tone for what followed.

François used that emotional entry point to anchor something even larger than individual artistry. “I love being part of experiences that are intentionally helping people realize not only the importance of reimagining,” he says, “but also that, on a professional and global stage, Blackness has long been both highly sought after and highly exploited. And that’s okay—because we will always find ways and spaces to celebrate who we are.”

Malcolm Marquez- Flowers Only Bloom At Night 

“My looks tonight were inspired by where I’m from. It was a love letter to my home,” says Arizona-born hairstylist Malcolm Marquez, describing the vision behind his segment Flowers Only Bloom at Night. With L’Oreal’s Texture Of Change as one the event’s biggest sponsors, Marquez used Keraste and Redkin to animate his styles.

“Because it’s the desert, it’s a harsh environment,” he explained. “I wanted to draw a parallel between the survival instincts of desert creatures and the survival skills we’ve developed as Black and queer people. Just like those creatures, we’ve learned how to build relationships, find joy, and create community—even in social and political climates that make it hard to simply exist.”

The hair and styling in his segment reflected that contrast—each model was dressed in darker, edgier tones accented with subtle bursts of color, symbolizing resilience and beauty in unlikely conditions. For the finale, the models circled around Julez Smith, who stood centerstage in a striking green garment made entirely of hair. Like petals unfolding at dusk, the moment mimicked a desert flower in bloom—a poetic nod to the strength and softness that can coexist in struggle.

Cyndia Harvey – Neptune Noir

Cyndia Harvey describes her segment, Neptune Noir, as having a “loose underwater theme,” but what she brought to the runway was far more transcendent. “These beings are from another planet,” she explains. “They’re out of this world—water creatures. The hair really captures the essence of something deep, otherworldly, and submerged. We have an aquatic theme running throughout—waves, netting that resembles fishnets, and shapes that evoke sea creatures. It’s a blend of the space above and below.”

As the lights shifted to a deep, iridescent blue-purple, the entire room was submerged into Harvey’s vision. The atmosphere turned ethereal, as though the audience had slipped beneath the surface of another world. The first model emerged on the runway, and gasps rippled through the crowd as her hair appeared to defy gravity—coiling upward, around her face and body like a living sculpture.

Harvey used a blend of hair extensions and various textures to build each look, anchoring them with silicone and layers of netting to mimic the structure and flow of aquatic life. The effect was mesmerizing—merging fantasy, futurism, and Afro-aesthetic. 

Jawara Wauchope – Nocturnal Opulence

Jawara closed out the show with his segment, Nocturnal Opulence—a bold, breathtaking finale that redefined the boundaries of beauty and Black expression. “My hair segment is about treating hair as couture pieces,” he says. “When I was growing up, the hairstyles and salon culture I came from were often labeled ‘ghetto’ or not good enough. I want to flip that narrative. I want to take those same techniques and use them to create opulent beings—because the Black women I grew up around were opulent. They were beautiful, brilliant, expressive, and smart—and they told their stories through their hair. Black hairstyling is one of the most sophisticated art forms. There’s so much technique, thought, and history that goes into it.”

As a remix of Beyoncé’s Baby Boy echoed through the venue, it immediately set the tone for high drama. Using Kérastase and Redken products, the hair was towering and sculptural, the garments were sleek and regal, and the models owned the runway with presence and power.

The segment closed with a showstopping moment: model Anok Yai gliding down the runway wearing a sleek bust-down with golden blonde flowers sprouting from the crown of her head—like a halo in full bloom. It was the perfect fusion of softness and strength, elegance and edge. She commanded the space with grace, embodying the very essence of Nocturnal Opulence and delivering a flawless finale to an unforgettable evening.