Our Greatest Fashion Accessory: Hair at Cambridge Style Week




Hey Everyone,

Last week AfroDeity were fortunte enough to have a Pop Up Shop at Cambridge Style Week. My Mummy and I arranged to go and showcase AfroDeity there. In the African - Caribbean community fashion is more than just the clothes that we wear. Accessories play an important part of our fashion sense and for every black woman, her hair is her most important accessory.  I know that no matter what I am wearing if I dont feel comfortable with  my hair, my outfit just doesn't feel right. Our hair is our greatest fashion accessory and it is so versatile  There are so many different styles that we can achieve with this hair type. The 'Naturalution' has highlighted this versatility. Since going natural I feel like I have found a whole new side to myself that I never knew existed, I used to be the kind of person who nly wore black and wanted to blend into the crowd as much as possible. I have now discovered colour in my wardrobe, makeup, earrings and other accessories and I am so exited to see which styles go well with my outfit. Its like it opened a door to a fashion conscious me and I have no plans to close it. I no longer want to blend in but go against the current. Maybe its just me!!

Anyway I digress...
There was so much to see at Cambridge Style Style Week. Having lived in Cambridge many years ago. I never thought of Cambridge as a City full to the brim with so much from the Fashion World but you need look no further than success stories like the 'Cambridge Satchel Company' and 'The Cambridge Raincoat'  to know that fashion and Cambridge really go hand in hand.

 
One of the people I enjoyed meeting the most was Mary Mansfield from Cambridge Interiors. Unfortunately I rarely get to meet many successful black entrepreneurs and it was lovely to meet Mary who operates right here in Cambridgeshire.

I caught a few candid pics from the day, These are from the Heart 103 radio Cambridge Booth:
The Born to be Beautiful Team were amazing. 
"Born to be Beautiful is a charity providing beauty therapy training and skills to victims of abject poverty and modern day slavery, restoring dignity and hope to lives devastated by exploitation."



Here is one of me!

We were also treated to a fashion show, the beehive being the most prominent hair style:




Here are a few pics from our Boutique. Our most popular product was of course the Fountain Pimento Oil, but people were really interested in all our products, Hug My Hair Avocado Mango Tango and the Sisay Okra range.




                        

Photos by Alex Bright Photography


Enjoy!
Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity
Leilu

What Dawn Did in Heels Meet Up!

Hi All,


Last Saturday I was able to go along to the 'What Dawn Did in Heels Birthday Meet Up'. If you've never hear of Dawn, you need to check out her vlog. I am not the most fashionable person and she is such an inspiration. I can never really figure out what goes with what and how to bring an outfit all together. Thankfully Dawn breaks it down for us.

She really knows how to put an outfit together and I also enjoy her makeup reviews on her You Tube channel.


I was so in need of a day out and this one was worth it. I was able to travel down to London with the lovely Missy from Never a Dull Momnt. She and I had a great time and I even got makeup tips on the train. The journey itself was cramped and long but it was so much nicer travelling down with Missy who is such a genuinely lovely person. She writes a fashion blog and she also talks about her life as a new girl in the cit of Cambridge. I never miss her Perve/Swerve Posts.

The meet up took place in the West field shopping centre in Shepherds Bush. It was a lovely shopping centre and incredibly quiet. I had expected hustle and bustle as it was in London but was pleasantly surprised. All my favourite shops were there particularly Zara!! Love It and even had a chance to pass by Mac. 



We all had a coffee and a catch up in the Cafe Concert  and then we headed out for some thai food. 

Gabby of Oliva's Sweet Bakes came by for a bit with her beautiful cakes and her even more beautiful 1yo. Such a cutie pie. The cakes melted in your mouth and you know I am going to have to go back for more!





Dawn had picked a great Thai restaurant and the food was lush!




Anyway, here are some pics from the afternoon. Can you spot me and my new do?


Dawn and CeeKate (check out CeeKate.com)



 My new hair do!


Bloggers : LondonCurl, Rastallulah, HelloHenrie


The Beautiful Dawn in the middle and Missy on the left and Janelle on the right


If you are curious Dawn and her fashion and style videos see below. She is also starting her hair journey so there are some videos on her journey there.



Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity!
Leilu

Mixed Race Children and Coping with their Hair


Hi All, 

My two children Sebastian (5) and Ruby (2) are both mixed race, their father is English and I am black British of Jamaican descent. Being of mixed descent means that there hair is different from ours and different from each others as well.

Sebastians hair is drier than Ruby's and as such I opted to keep it short. In the last few weeks however, Sebastian, soon to turn 6, has decided he would like to grow his hair like his predominantly 'white' classmates. The other mixed race children at his school do also grow their longer. 


Ruby at two has just reached the stage where her baby ends have had to be clipped. These baby hairs at the end of the hair can cause a lot of tangling and it is a good idea to trim these as soon as possible as the baby hair is a different texture to the new hair that has grown in. Ruby's has also experienced quite a bit of growth in the last three months and her hair is now mid back length. A cut may be in order soon unless Ruby gets a bit taller so that she can accommodate this length of hair.


Due to both children growing their hair, their regimes have changed. They both have their hair washed twice to three times a week. Sebastian's requires less washing due to thickness and dry nature, it is washed less than Ruby's. Once the hair is washed with Mixed Chicks Shampoo and Conditioner for kids. It is lightly towel dried and Mixed Chicks leave in applied. A very small amount of grapeseed oil is applied to Ruby's hair as too much makes it appear very greasy. A hair dryer is then used on the cool setting to remove excess water so that the children do not go to bed with wet hair. Sebastian's hair requires more grapeseed oil as it just absorbs it. Very little drying is required for his hair but this may change the longer it gets.

Grapeseed oil is a light oil which can be used to seal in the moisture. Due to the texture of both kids hair we have opted to use this lighter oil. Sebastian's hair as he gets older may require a thicker oil and we may try Coconut Oil next.

As Sebastian is an avid swimmer we are currently in the hunt for a decent swimming shampoo for kids. Currently eyeing up California Baby Kids swimmers shampoo.

Embrace Your InnerAfroDeity
Leilu


Cambridge Style Week February 2013


Come and see us at the Cambridge Style Week Pop Up Boutique Experince This Saturday. We will have products from all our new lines including Fountain Oils Collection, Hug My Hair, Joliette and  Sisay.

Some Info for you from the Cambridge Style Week Site
"Cambridge has quickly become a hub of design and fashion-forward thinking. Local designers, businesses, and former students have had great success around the world, becoming leaders in their industries. A not-for-profit endeavour, CSW 2013 marks the inception of a new event aimed to showcase and inspire these successes.
Celebrating interior designs to haute couture, Cambridge Style Week brings together cutting edge creations with iconic collections from local, national, and international designers.
A diverse range of complementary events will accompany catwalk shows, including exhibitions, networking events, themed parties and many more functions designed to innovate, inform and inspire.
Boasting headline shows to shopping experiences, exhibitions to style rides, live performances to lectures, CSW 2013 promises to draw everyone from savvy students to industry leaders. Bringing town and gown together, CSW represents and celebrates  Cambridge's diversity.
From February 20th to 24th, the city will become the place to see the world’s most awe-inspiring and upcoming trends for Spring and Summer 2013, as well as Autumn/Winter season reveals.
Over the week, a host of incredible Cambridge venues will grant exclusive access, as the city becomes the headquarters of style and sophistication."


Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity

Embracing the Big Chop

Hi All,

As you know I have now cut all the relaxed ends off my hair. A first it was a shock! I have never had my hair that short before even when I wore my hair in an afro previously. Once I got to grips with the fact that it was short and I couldn't continue to do the styles I had been doing during my transition, it got easier. I actually started to feel more confident about my hair! and I love it!
Here are some pics, I thought I'd share.





I decided to go with a Caribbean colour theme this time round I seem completely obsessed with turquoise and peacocks at the moment but I shall have to get some orange into my wardrove to liven things up. 

Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity