‘She changed the beauty industry’: how Charlotte Mensah brought black hair into the spotlight
A new exhibition in London celebrates the influential hairstylist whose clients include Janelle Monáe and Zadie Smith. She explains her story – and why she’s on a mission to ensure stylists are trained to work with all hair types
TL;DR
- Charlotte Mensah, a Ghanaian-born hairstylist, is being honored with a London exhibition detailing her career.
- She is renowned for her work with natural black hair, styling celebrities like Janelle Monáe and Erykah Badu.
- Mensah overcame early bullying in London due to her natural afro hairstyle.
- She gained experience in prominent black hair salons in London and opened her own salon, Hair Lounge, in 1999.
- Her career includes winning 'afro hairdresser of the year' three times and induction into the British Hairdressing Awards Hall of Fame.
- She has developed an eponymous line of high-end hair products.
- Mensah advocates for improved education in hairdressing colleges to include afro hair care, aiming to make styling for all hair types accessible nationwide.
- She has established academies in London and Accra to train stylists in various hair textures.