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Two weeks ago, model Kyla O’Doul went viral on TikTok for braiding her hair backstage at Fashion Week (1.3 million likes, 3,000+ comments) recorded).
The model, who has been recognized by Rihanna, Beyoncé and Topicals for her animated braided style, posted a clip of herself working in a race against the clock with lead stylist Laurent Philippon’s team at Palomo Spain’s SS25 show.
After being recognized on social media, the caption read: “[Philippe]told me I could choose any braid style I wanted on the show, but I only had 30 minutes.” Black models are often seen with straight backs or short Afros on the show, but Odole and her team chose something different. Specifically, the braids that frame the face were tied together with intricately woven wire and landed in the center section, which was secured at the ends. “I literally wanted to style my hair for a runway show or campaign, so I was praying for it to go well.”
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But even though her caption said she wanted help braiding her hair (and admitted how educated her stylist was about texture), the black model Some comments still pointed out the disparity that women often face with white stylists backstage.
One comment read: “Why couldn’t they just do her hair?” Why should she do that? ” Meanwhile, others claimed that an off-camera voice “negatively” rushed her to get her braids done in time for makeup, to which she responded, “Give me 15 minutes. ” he replied politely.
At Palomo Spain, like most shows, there are over 40 looks, and each model has a limited amount of time in the hair and makeup chair before the show. To save time, “I come to most jobs with my hair styled, so I rarely have my hair braided,” Odore told ESSENCE.
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And while models shouldn’t be expected to do their hair backstage, in her case, she prefers to do so. “I had so much fun doing the braids and coming up with the concept, but other people did my hair so I had to be conscious of how I collaborated.”
“My hair is my head, so I know how to braid it fast,” says Odore, who first learned how to braid at age 15. “When I feel the hair on my scalp, I know what works and what doesn’t,” she says, and even brings her own hair care products backstage. “Each texture responds differently to products and moves to gravity differently, so naturally I’ll be faster than other people who play with their hair.”
For Odore, Fashion Month is not only an opportunity to walk, but also an opportunity to show how creative black hair can be in an industry that often limits us or mishandles our hair. “I tended to be overly ambitious and had even more complicated plans,” she says of her hair look. “But in the interest of time, and also the fact that I’m not the only one with braided hair, I found a more ‘realistic’ middle ground.” In other words, from this animation artist: You can expect even bigger and more creative ideas to flow soon.
