Thought the Afro was a hairstyle of the past, gone the way of bell-bottom jeans and peace signs? No way — natural hair never goes out of style. In fact, celebrities like Solange Knowles and Questlove have already championed the fuss-free hair look, and now Michael July, a rad photographer from Brooklyn's Clinton Hill, celebrates the coiff with a 450-page book and exhibit at the Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn. Out July 26,
Afros: A Celebration of Natural Hair
documents the contemporary resurgence of the fluffy-hair trend.
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July's quest to photograph subjects for his piece is pretty epic. Beginning in 2006, he traveled all over the U.S. in search of iconic hair. After four years of struggling to find people who wore their hair naturally, Michael noticed "a Renaissance period, particularly in Brooklyn." He notes that in the last three years, there's been a transition towards embracing natural hair — which we love.
In accordance with the book's theme, July tried to do as minimal retouching and Photoshopping as possible, shooting his subjects in their au naturel state. Through his glorious book and exhibit, July proves that anyone can get funky with a 'fro, regardless of ethnicity, age, or location. Well, maybe not the TSA... (The Cut)
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