CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL EDITORIAL
I never thought hair meant as much to men as it did to women until I got older. Most of my life, as noted in StreetEtiquette’s Joshua Kissi’s life as well, there were only three options: a cut, cornrows (which were deemed uncool after a certain age), or an afro. Being that my father was a barber he’d cut my hair —bald, even, faded, etc.— until his death. From ’96-’08 I continued the bi-weeky ritual of shaving my crown. Cornrows didn’t fit me and an afro was outdated in my opinion. During the course of those 12 years I noticed my male peers paying closer attention to their hair. The products and money spent to maintain their manes was a new concept to me. I got my hair cut and that was it. I didn’t wash it (yeah, I know) and rarely brushed it. I was not concerned with waves nor moisturizing it.
It wasn’t until I matured —until I paid more attention to my personal style that I realized how important hair was to who I was. The first journey I embarked on was inspired by Maxwell and John Legend. I wanted a wild, but clean twist out. It didn’t work. Don’t know if it was the grade of my hair or the lack of product but I soon realized it wasn’t for me. The next journey led me to where I am today. A week before my 19th birthday, I went to a local African beauty shop and began to lock my hair. Four years later and I’m still growing what I believe to be essentially a part of the man I am today: untamed, unpredictable, and different.
StreetEtiquette, well known men’s lifestyle blog, teamed with one of my favorite photographers Andre Wagner to create a portrait series. The series features 12 individuals who not only share a hair story but evoke style unparalleled to any I’ve seen in the Black community.
CROWNED is a portrait series depicting the styles of 12 individuals through the lens of their personal hair style, or in other words their CROWNS.
[Kissi]
