Charlotte Mensah: The Pioneer Who Transformed the Black Hair Industry

Exhibition Charts Four Decades of Hair Industry Evolution

The exhibition, titled Charlotte Mensah: Community Matters, charts the stylist’s journey from growing up in Accra, Ghana, in the 1970s to styling high-profile celebrities for magazine covers. According to Madeleine Haddon, the senior curator who worked with Mensah on the project, the showcase tells “a story of Black British creativity and many of the prejudices and hurdles that she [Charlotte] had to overcome in the 80s and 90s, but also how she changed the beauty industry and transformed perceptions of black beauty.” Writer Zadie Smith, describing Mensah’s work in an essay earlier this year, noted that “Charlotte can make a great mane of braids appear where previously there were only split ends and hair loss.”

From Ghanaian Childhood to Mayfair Apprenticeships

Mensah moved from Ghana to Stonebridge, north-west London, at age 11, where she initially faced bullying for her hair, which she describes as a “TWA” or tiny weeny afro. At 16, she secured an apprenticeship at Splinters in Mayfair, the UK’s first luxury Black hair salon, which opened in 1970. Working at Splinters exposed the teenage apprentice to independent women entrepreneurs and celebrities including Diana Ross and cosmetics founder Flori Roberts. She subsequently worked at Terry Jacques in Knightsbridge, frequented by Luther Vandross and Brandy, before opening her own salon, Hair Lounge, in Kilburn in 1999 at age 29. The business later relocated to Portobello Road in Notting Hill, where Mensah continues to style clients.

Did You Know? A Legacy of Celebrity Styling

Mensah’s editorial portfolio includes high-profile magazine covers featuring boxer Nicola Adams in a Grace Jones-style boxed afro for Vanity Fair UK, model Jourdan Dunn with spiralling braids for Heroine, singer Celeste with cornrows on Found And Vision, and actor-writer Michaela Coel with Bantu knots for New York Magazine. Her client roster also features singers Janelle Monáe and Erykah Badu.

Shifting Retail Landscapes and Product Accessibility

Over the past decade, Mensah has expanded her brand with an eponymous line of high-end hair oils and finishing mists. This venture emerged from her childhood experiences in the 1970s and 1980s, when specialized products for Black hair were not stocked in mainstream shops, requiring trips out-of-borough to purchase US imports like Dax and Sofnfree. Today, high street retailers including Boots and Superdrug feature dedicated afro hair sections carrying brands such as Camille Rose and SheaMoisture, alongside celebrity-backed lines like Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross, Cecred by Beyoncé, and UK-based Afrocenchix. “There’s more access,” Mensah notes regarding the current market.

Addressing Education Gaps in Salon Training

Despite increased retail availability, social prejudices and training gaps persist across the UK beauty sector. A BBC report from last year revealed that out of 259 colleges in England, only 82 taught a curriculum inclusive of afro hair care. Women frequently travel across the country to find stylists equipped to handle their hair types. To combat this barrier, Mensah has established her own academy in London and Accra, offering training and mentorship programmes for stylists. “You should be able to walk into any hair salon on your high street and have your hair done,” she states, emphasizing that comprehensive training across all hair textures must originate within the education system.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the focus of the Charlotte Mensah: Community Matters exhibition?

The exhibition in west London documents Charlotte Mensah’s 40-year career, highlighting her contributions to natural Black hair care, her journey from Ghana to London, and her impact on the beauty industry.

Where is Charlotte Mensah’s salon located?

After starting Hair Lounge in Kilburn in 1999, Mensah relocated the salon to Portobello Road in Notting Hill, west London, where she continues to practice.

What products and brands does Charlotte Mensah offer?

Mensah operates an eponymous product line consisting of high-end hair oils and finishing mists developed over the past decade.

How is Charlotte Mensah addressing the lack of afro hair training in salons?

She has founded an academy in London and Accra that provides specialized training and mentorship programmes for hair stylists to ensure they can work with all hair textures.