If it's not obvious, Black Panther has quickly become a cultural movement, a national phenomenon we're only lucky enough to witness. But with so much power comes plenty of influence. In fact, the fictional land of Wakanda and all its Black excellence has already expanded far beyond theaters into fashion week, voting polls, and even... hair salons?
Haven't seen Black Panther yet? Well, be prepared to fall madly in love with arguably the best villain in Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, we're talking about Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan), the antagonist to The Black Panther, T'Challa. But you won't just leave the theater with a soft spot for Killmonger — you'll walk out obsessed with his bangs and side fade, too.
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This style choice was, of course, not at all random. Jordan recently told Yahoo Entertainment that the hairstyle was meant to be worn by the modern 2018 man. Both Jordan and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler crafted the crop of dreadlocks because it is easily adoptable by fans. “[Coogler is] from Oakland, and I’m from Newark, New Jersey, and I used to have ‘locs,” Jordan said. “So we were trying to figure out what that hairstyle would look like if it evolved. Something that was trendy that dudes would wanna rock once the movie came out." It looks like they nailed it.
Camille Friend, the film's hair department head, told HuffPost that "every guy on Instagram" has hit up her inbox with questions about the specific hairstyle. If you're curious, Friend told Refinery29 that Jordan spent a lot of time growing out his own hair — he had about five inches on top — then added loc extensions to give the look its full effect.
Now that you know, please feel free to forward these instructions to every aspiring King of Wakanda in your life sooner rather than later.
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