I've said it a bunch of times before, but planning an event in the tail end of my pregnancy and into the first month of mommyhood was MADNESS. However, all the hard work paid off on July 26th when my homegirl AMC and I put on the 2nd annual Curls, Coils & Cocktails event!
Last year's event fell into our laps somewhat by fluke, but the response was so overwhelming that we wanted to bring it back this year. Held at the beautiful Uptown Loft in Toronto, we had a lovely turn out of ladies and gentlemen who came to celebrate the diversity of natural hair!
We mixed and mingled. We admired the wares of some awesome vendors. We got mini-consultations from the ladies of Curl Bar Beauty Salon. We took in a panel discussion on natural hair diversity, featuring women with varied perceptions and expressions of natural hair. We had an AMAZING performance from funk/rock/soul powerhouse Saidah Baba Talibah, and got down to the nitty-gritty of her hair journey. We ate yummy treats and had some delicious mini-cupcakes courtesy of Mellycakes. We had laughter & hugs - I got to meet some wonderful women, and the positivity was infectious - a special moment was when prize winner Carcia (from the blog It's MusicFashionLife) shared her personal story of beauty and self-acceptance after a diagnosis of alopecia. With chunes from DJ Sean Sax, gift bags from Clore Beauty, and tons of incredible giveaways, I think we coordinated a pretty good event - and the feedback has largely shared that sentiment!
Special thanks to our major sponsors: Curl Bar Beauty Salon, NaturalButterfly, and Clore Beauty!
Major thank yous to our gift sponsors: Shakara Natural, Luv N Locs, Ola Finesse, Toni Daley, Caheez, and the Toronto Natural Hair & Beauty Show!
Shout out to our spectacular vendors: Diana Tracy Collection and Eli's Body Shop!
Big up our two awesome photographers who took some DOPE pics: Ngadi Smart and Sarita Louis!
Big thanks to our social media team: Anya, Nikki, and Kayla (p.s. - keep up with CC&C on Twitter and Facebook)!
And we could NOT have done this event without the assistance of Juliana, Vee, Lincoln, Alison, and Debbie!
See more Curls, Coils & Cocktails photos here!
Now that the event has passed, I've gotten past the part where I critique myself harshly about what I could have done better, and I'm settled in the phase where I set my neuroses aside and assess things with a clear(er) head. The question I pose to myself now is: "What next? Where does the natural hair conversation in Toronto go now?" It feels like Toronto has just started to get into the natural hair event game, but there's always room to be innovative and to give the people what they want. I, like other natural hair advocates and event planners, just want to figure out the perfect equation to acquire both.
Being cognizant of those who are at polar ends of the spectrum - longtime naturals and natural newbies - is one thing. Taking into consideration financial trends of event attendees and ensuring they get their money's worth is another. Finding supportive partners and sponsors who get it is entirely another. Once those factors are settled, the matter of figuring out how to add flair, creativity, fun, education, and all the other unique components that make an event great begins. It's not easy, but when you get great feedback from event attendees, it gives you the best kind of challenge to do an even better job next time.
But back to my question - where does the conversation go now? Are we over talking about natural hair in the workplace/media/relationships, or is there still room for those discussions? Who are the new voices and faces on the scene, and how do we get them engaged? What do attendees want to do, see, and hear these days? Finding the answers to these questions and more will make life much more hectic, but much more interesting in the days to come.
If you have any feedback on what you'd like to see at natural hair-centric events, hit me up and let me know! And again - big, BIG thank yous to everyone who came out to Curls, Coils & Cocktails 2014!