Young girl models different black hairstyles from the last 100 YEARS

A young girl modeled different black hairstyles from over the past years during a stunning photoshoot to honor Madam CJ Walker – the first female self-made millionaire in America, who revolutionized haircare for black women.

World famous photographers and husband and wife team teamed up to shoot the photos through their company , in an attempt to celebrate the history of black hairstyles and how they’ve grown over the past 100 years.

Model Kendall Lowe, from Indianapolis, , wore a simple white, laced dress as she showcased the most popular styles from the 19th century to modern day.

According to Regis and Kahran, they came up with the ideas for each hairstyle from their own memories, as well as by looking at images from each decade.  

‘CreativeSoul Photography believes that everyone deserves to truly be seen, so we go beyond just capturing beautiful snapshots,’ the company wrote on its website. 

‘We’re more than just photographers. We are artists and trusted business partners obsessed with unique, visual storytelling and capturing unconventional beauty.

‘Our goal is to tell your own unique story through photographs that will last a lifetime.’

Madam Walker was born in Louisiana and started off as a sales agent for a hair-care company run by Annie Turnbo Malone, before launching her own brand, called Madam CJ Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, in 1905.

‘We can’t help but think that if she were still alive today she would be so proud of how she spearheaded an era of Black women becoming empowered and believing that they could aspire to wealth and economic prosperity,’ the photographers wrote on Instagram, while discussing Madam Walker. 

He products – which were the first hair products targeted at African-American women – were designed to promote hair growth and make your tresses healthier, while also taming them. 

She popularized the press and curl style, and became the first woman millionaire as a result of her hair-care line – landing her in the Guinness World Records book. 

By the time of her death in 1919, at age 51, Madam Walker was earning an annual revenue of over $500,000. 

‘There are other businesswomen who may have hit the million-dollar-mark earlier but their finances are not nearly as well documented,’ reports.

1800s: Straight hair 

During slavery, black women used bacon grease, butter, and kerosene to tame their hair, as brushes, combs, and conditioner were not available to them.

At the time, slaves with straighter hair and lighter skin were considered more valuable, so it was important for them to keep their locks neat.

After slavery was abolished, Caucasians still favored black women who wore their hair in styles that approximated the white culture, which led to the belief in the black community that straight hair was ‘good’ and curly hair was ‘bad.’

At the time, segregation was still prominent throughout much of the country, and black women needed ‘good hair’ to get into churches, schools, local organizations, and more. 

In the 1880s, metal hot combs became available for the first time in the United States, which was a device that used heat to temporarily straighten curly hair; and this made the straight-haired look even more popular among the black community.   

Then, in the early 1900s, Madam Walker first entered the scene when she released the first hair-care products for black women. 

1950s and 1960s: Straight hair continued to reign

In 1954, George E. Johnson also created the Ultra Wave Hair Culture by Johnson Products Company – another product to help straighten curly hair – and it made it much easier to achieve the look.

His product allowed black men and women to straighten their hair without applying heat. 

Margaret Vinci Heldt created the Beehive hairstyle in the ’60s, which involved piling one’s hair on top of their head in a cone shape and setting it in place with copious amounts of hairspray.

Throughout the 1960s, the straight haired-look continued to be popular among black women, however, in 1968 actress Diahann Carroll broke the mold when she starred in the television show Julia sporting curly hair. 

1970s: The afro 

The 1970s brought about many huge changes in the United States, including the Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Vietnam War, Woodstock, rock and roll, and afros. 

Angela Davis – a political activist, philosopher, academic, scholar, and author – was one of the first to popularize the afro – making her an icon of black power and inspiring many other women to try out the look too. 

The afro, which was also famously worn by Diana Ross, symbolized self-love and black pride, during a time when the black community was really learning to embrace their history and features. 

1980s: The Jheri curl 

The Jheri curl – named after Jheri Redding, who invented a chemical process that helped bring out your curls – exploded in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which features tons of curls with moisture. 

At the time, big Hollywood names like Whitney Houston and Grace Jones were seen with big curly hairdos, and perms, mousse, and hairspray took over the black community.

1990s: A variety of hairdos

Throughout the 1990s, the world started to see many different black hairstyles. Curls were still in, while Halle Berry debuted a short, straight bob in the movie Boomerang – which made the hairstyle popular among her fans.

Janet Jackson sported braids in the movie Poetic Justice, which also became a staple look for black women in the 1990s.

Singer Aaliyah, on the other hand, rocked straight long hair, popularizing that look once again; throughout the ’90s, it appeared that many different styles flooded the entire black community.

2000s: Slicked and styled

In the early 2000s, many African American women began to chemically straighten their hair again, and opted for more sleek and reserves styles. Then, in the 2010s, natural hair flat iron hairstyles hair flourished again among black women. 

Regis and Kahran said they are ‘obsessed with unique, visual storytelling,’ and have worked with hundreds of children, families and brands over the last 12 years.

They specialize in lifestyle photography and authentic, visual storytelling – with their work being featured in Teen Vogue, CNN, Glamour magazine, Vogue Italia, Black Enterprise, and many more.

The pictured were taken back in August 2021, and each hairstyle took about 30-40 minutes to complete.