A new exhibition, "Charlotte Mensah: Community Matters," is currently on display in west London, charting the 40-year career of influential hairstylist Charlotte Mensah. The exhibition traces her journey from growing up in Accra, Ghana, through her early experiences as a junior hairdresser in London, to styling celebrities for magazine covers.
Mensah, a three-time winner of afro hairdresser of the year, was the first black woman to be inducted into the British Hairdressing Awards Hall of Fame in 2018. She is recognised for championing natural black hair textures in mainstream culture, having worked with clients such as singers Janelle Monáe and Erykah Badu, and writer Zadie Smith.
According to Madeleine Haddon, senior curator of the V&A East, who collaborated on the exhibition, the story reflects Black British creativity and the hurdles Mensah overcame in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as her impact on the beauty industry and perceptions of black beauty.
Mensah's aim now is to address remaining social prejudices concerning black hair types, including the idea that natural textures need to be "tamed." She highlights the lack of access to hairdressers outside major cities trained to style black hair, noting that only 82 out of 259 colleges in England reportedly taught an inclusive afro hair care curriculum last year. Mensah has established an academy in London and Accra to offer training and mentorship for stylists.