Photo: The Coveteur
If you follow fashion, then you know about the Urban Bush Babes.
Featured in Vogue, Glamour and Essence, and in collaborations with Gap and Carol’s Daughter (just to name a few), these naturalistas have taken over the fashion world for embracing their natural beauty. Cipriana Quann and her twin sister TK Wonder, along with Nikisha Brunson are the faces behind Urban Bush Babes, a lifestyle site dedicated to natural hair, personal style and all things art.
However, while they are famous for their locks now, it wasn’t always the case.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, who featured the trio in their Internet’s Most Fascinating series, Nikisha revealed she was bullied for her natural hair in middle school and high school.
A photo posted by urbanbushbabes (@urbanbushbabes) on Apr 30, 2015 at 5:25pm PDT
“I was bullied really badly in junior high and parts of high school,” she said. “I felt like I always had to straighten my hair to fit in, so that’s what I did. The last time I used chemical relaxers was when I was 16, and undergrad was the last time I straightened my hair with heat.”
And Cipriana also revealed the struggles she had trying to break into the modelling world with her natural hair.
“I was modeling for almost a decade and the only issue that I had in the modeling world had to do with my hair,” she said of her afro-textured hair. “I was beginning to actually hate my hair and seeing it as a huge obstacle. I didn’t have any creative freedom or creative control, so I quit modeling and decided to grow my hair natural again. Finally starting the site with Nikisha put all the puzzle pieces together. It was a great feeling to recognize this is what I was meant to do after all those years struggling and being unhappy in the work I was doing.”
Now, the trio sits front row at Fashion Week and inspires hundreds of thousands of readers each week with their fresh and natural approach to fashion. Citing Solange and Zendaya as natural hair inspirations, the girls want other young girls to know that everyone’s hair is different and while they love their hair, it does not define them.
“If I lost all my hair tomorrow, that would not take away who I am as a person,” Cipriana said. “Not to be contradictory, but I feel that the hair is part of me as well. It took me so long to finally love it and now that I finally love it, I’m not afraid to wear my hair how I want to wear it. My hair is representing all those years that it took me to finally become confident in the complete woman that I am today.”
“Your hair should kind of be an extension of showing your personality a bit, Nikisha said, “so be fun with it.”
For a look at the Urban Bush Babes best street style moments, check out the gallery below:
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