What’s up With the Afros at Louis Vuitton?

I love afros. In my high school graduation portrait, circa 1975, I called myself rocking a ‘fro, but in retrospect it was pretty pathetic. My hair is soft and my afro never really stood up and saluted like it should have. I was quite envious of my cousin, then a student at UCLA whose Angela Davis-esque afro lit up the bleachers one night while she was in attendance at a home football game. Make note — Afro Sheen and cigarettes do not mix. Especially if you are prone to posing with your cigarette on the side of your head…

Erykah Badu photo courtesy of Trace Magazine

So, the afro is making a comeback. I’m sure that some will argue that it never left, but the visibility of a beautiful head of natural hair commanding attention is suddenly en vogue. Hmmm. I saw this Polynesian Island brother strolling down the street with an afro-to-die-for not so long ago.The sight of all that hair compelled me to yell out of the car window “NICE HAIR!” My horrified daughters looked at me with their mouths agape and scolded me with a stern “Mom!” Oh well, I think that’s part of my duty as a parent — to inflict public humiliation upon my children as I deem necessary.

Back to afros…

So Marc Jacobs is the latest to express his affinity for the Afro when he sent Louis Vuitton models down the runway with uber funky ‘fros. So what is this? Urban couture? We are gonna one up Erykah Badu? I’m not sure what the statement was here, but I can’t help but think that the hair overshadowed the clothes.  And that was a good thing.  You decide…

Photos courtesy of The Cut

I recently interviewed Tinu, model and singer, and was impressed with her massive afro she rocks in her upcoming video.

One of my favorite bloggers, Ron, who authors Anything Urban — The MANchild Swagga did an awesome retrospective on Afro divas.  You have to check out his top ten picks.   Here is  a sneak peak:

Pam Grier ICON – The greatest female heroine in film history, in my humble opinion.  During the blaxpoitation era in cinema, Pam was a one woman “terminator”.  I remember her role in Coffy as this sexy nurse that would go out, flaunt her boobies, then merc you – imagine that.  She also became a house hold name in the 70’s for her role as Foxy Brown.  She left an impression in film and also in hip hop.

And I still don’t understand why no one has ever thought of making a Foxy Brown action figure.

Finish reading Ron’s blog.