The Natural Hair Queen Credits Janet Jackson for Jumpstarting Her Empire
Most people don’t realize the name Taliah Waajid is more than an ethnic sounding name on a product. The beautiful face behind the brand is more than a model, she is the life’s blood of the longest running natural hair care brand in the country. With the same glamorous mystique as the fictitious lady Eloise in the beloved 90’s cult hit ‘Boomerang’ starring legends Eartha Kitt and Eddie Murphy, Taliah’s presence is just as celebrated. The difference between Taliah and Lady Eloise stops at the stylish threads and charming presence, Taliah is as hands on with her global brand as any start-up CEO. From the marketing to the scheduling of the program of the upcoming natural hair show, Taliah Waajid has the final say on each painstaking detail of her multimillion dollar empire seven days a week.
Taliah’s work ethic started as a young girl watching her mother do hair. She immediately understood the relationship between “doing hair” and “making money” but she also admired the way women’s energy shifted when they loved what they saw in the mirror. Understanding that Black women in America have endured a love/hate relationship with their crown, Taliah wanted to create products to help women manage their hair in between salon visits. Her concern was impacted from her own dilemma. Taliah’s mother wouldn’t allow her to get a perm or relaxer, so she was forced to learn her natural hair. At age 14, she started her “hair business” taking clients as often as she could. In the 80’s and early 90’s, Taliah says most black women weren’t interested in natural hair. Many felt pressure to straighten their natural kinks and curls to accommodate a corporate work environment. It wasn’t until Janet Jackson wore the infamous box braids in John Singleton’s romance/drama ‘Poetic Justice’ that Taliah’s business started to take off. “Everyone wanted those box braids that Janet had in Poetic Justice. I was doing them in NY and then coming to Atlanta and doing them and I started making serious money. That was a real game changer,” Taliah shares.
Taliah natural inclination for perfection earned her a reputation of being one of the most in-demand stylists in the southeast, but hair care was only one part of her skillset, she elevated her brand to natural hair care products and the Taliah Waajid brand was born. The products focused on natural hair for black women and initially encouraged consumers to focus on 4 collections of healthy hair product lines that ranging from Natural Hair Care, to Curly Hair Care, to Protective Styling, and Children’s Hair Care. The products presented a comprehensive approach to every dimension of black hair. As trends came and went the brand familiarity grew and remained consistent. Taliah Waajid products were found in Black beauty salons across the country as well as Walmart, Target and other family focused stores.
As the years passed, Black women leveled up after women’s right to work, became one of the highest educated demographics in the US and began re-writing their image. Instead of kowtowing to relaxers and attempting to imitate European styles, they began celebrating their natural hair and speaking out against discrimination in the workplace. In 2019, The CROWN Act, or Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair was passed. The legislation prohibits race-based hair discrimination, particularly in the workplace and schools. It protects individuals from discrimination based on hair texture and/or protective hairstyles like braids, locs, and twists Taliah is elated to see Black women embracing their hair in its natural state, but she believes the hair debate has been used far too often to divide. “It doesn’t matter if you wear your hair kinky or loc’d or weaved or shaved, it’s your hair and it’s an extension of you. Haircare is a part of self-love and self-expression. There shouldn’t be a divide between women who choose to relax or those that don’t. We are all Black women, all beautiful and should feel confident in our skin and hair,” she says boldly.
Taliah’s World Natural Hair show will celebrate 25 years April 26th & 27th in Atlanta, Ga. Taliah laughs when the show is referred to as a quarter of a century old, but she accepts the praise that accompanies that milestone. “We’ve been here and we’ve been consistent, but every year was made possible by the stylists, product owners, beauty brands and more that support the show by coming every year,” she explains. “Nothing happens without collaboration with others and I don’t think there is anything wrong with a little friendly competition because it makes us better,” she shares. Years ago a mentor gave her the word “co-opetition” which exemplifies those working together to make each other better. For Taliah it’s a tribute to the word “sisterhood”.
“There is no reason to fear our attempt to outshine your sister, there is enough here for all of us if we are working together, supporting one another,” Taliah believes.
For a business at its silver anniversary in a sea of Instagram boutiques and influencers, some question how Taliah’s brand remains stronger than ever in this fast-paced social media driven culture. For the woman that some believe is a fantasy on a product label the answer is simple. “I love young people. Their creativity, their energy, you need that. We invite them to be a part of this because it represents them also. Its’s co-opition in real time. We work with one another, learn from one another, laugh with one another, even dance with one another. It’s the beauty of a black woman multiplied.”
Photography By Nathan Pearcy – npearcypics.net
MUA By Day Byrd – daybyrdmua.com