The photograph was taken by Andre D. Wagner.
She has a married life with three children, as well as being the greatest living entertainer. Her pointed manicures are the needle under which global interest spins. Since her youth, she has launched multiple ventures, including House of Deréon, Parkwood Entertainment and BeyGOOD. She has been reticent about the offering, but it has roots in the idea of self-care as ritual.
The March/April Beauty Issue of ESSENCE will be on stands February 27. Tina was a hairdresser who owned and operated her own salon when she was a child. She says that in the culture of Black folks, if you could do some hair, you would never be broke. This full-circle moment feels amazing because it is just our legacy.
The photograph was taken byANDRE D. WAGner.
The brand is named after the singer and her reverence for her own hair. It is almost treated like a separate entity from the rest of the body. Out of longstanding interest in its well-being, and in acknowledgment of hair's distinct role in life and culture, the eight-piece collection was formulated by Bey. It includes a clarifying shampoo and scalp scrub, hydrating shampoo, moisturizing deep conditioner, a reconstructing treatment mask, a moisture-sealing lotion, and a "shaking vessel" that allows you to blend the ritual treatment. The entire line is made possible through the advent of a custom technology: a patent-pending bioactive ferment. The photo was taken by Andre D. Wagner.
The music video for "Bills, Bills, Bills" was shot in a hair salon and was an homage to the environment that gave birth to Bey. The beauty-supply store scene in the video was shot in, of all places, her mother's house. Ms. Tina says she became a mixologist because she mixed high-tech hair care with the oils that nourish textured or color-treated hair. I proved that the theory of black hair not having color and perm at the same time was wrong.
As the singer's grandmother, Agnéz Deréon, was coming up, an innovativeentrepreneur, also from Louisiana, was becoming a pivotal presence in Black history. Walker is thought to be the first woman to become a millionaire by herself. After experiencing her own hair trials, Walker founded her own hair business. As a hair grower, she has no equal, and was determined to help others uncover theirs as well. Those who know about the significance of her hair treatments are able to recognize her commitment. Tina says that her mother told her to oil her hair and keep it moist when she was younger. All of the things my mom did, like using olive oil and honey and egg whites, were good for our hair and also for a good old press.
The framing of Cécred as an ambitious stake in the earth, as well as Bey's rightful inheritance, cannot be overstated. She is the founder and chairwoman of her own hair care brand, and she wants to honor the women who loved her before she was born. She feels that this is bigger than her and she is ready for the future.
I have vivid memories of my mother working as a hairdresser right from our home. She built a small salon at the back of our house, and I can remember watching cartoons or playing with my toys there. I saw her do hair and she made women feel good. I eavesdropped and listened in on their conversations. My mother invited me to be a part of the design process even though I was young. My mom had many amazing clients at her salon, but it was also for me, and she found a therapist for me. I realized my dreams of being a performer when I visited her salon. When I told my mom that I wanted to be like her client, she was so impressed that she told me to stay. I think as an artist, so much of my bold experimentation with hair comes from being inspired by art and sculptures, getting creative with braids, figuring out new techniques, and exploring ways to maintain hair growth with protective styles and wigs. It all started in my mother's salon.
Did your decision to cut your hair into a long hair look reflect a kind of life change? I remember the day I cut my hair off and it was like the short-hair moment. It wasn't an aesthetic choice, but it was a very big emotional transformation. I wanted to get rid of all of that because I was a new mother and society thought I was supposed to be. I cut it off because I wanted it to be a representation of myself. It was intentional and I became brave after that. How do you maintain hair health while having dyed hair? The technology we created for our Cécred products helps to stop my hair from breaking and bring the shine back. The technology in the products is effective.
I try to be gentle with my hair. The Clarifying Conditioner and Clarifying Scrub is a great way to get rid of hair and dry skin. I wear my hair pressed, colored, ironing and natural as much as I wear protective styles, depending on what I am doing. I like to wash and care for my hair before putting it back up, because it is a special process that we tend to overlook. How did you come up with the name Cécred? These moments have been sacred to me, from my childhood being spent in my mother's salon to my father applying oil on my hair. The conversations and debates in the salons and barbershops create a sense of community for the people who look to it as a retreat from their everyday lives. It is the most consistent gathering we have. It is all sacred because it has a connection of community, mother and child, father and child, and respect, especially for Black women, who are always taking care of everyone else. I made the beginning of the word sacred to create Cécred by taking the end of my name, Cé. The journey has been from my mother's salon, my father's daily rituals, and years of experience in developing a hair care line.
You collaborated with your mother, Tina, on House of Deréon. I woke up this morning and thought about how my mom and I have been talking about this since I was a teenager. It was an honor to be able to do something special with my mother, and to be able to share it with the world. She is a gift that is finally here, and it feels like all of her life has been learning. The legacy and wisdom passed down through generations are part of this line. It's more than a business to you, it's a part of your birthright. How do you mingle the deeply personal with the professional while maintaining that it remains sacred? I knew what I wanted to do with technology that works for all women, and I funded it myself because I had not been able to find it. I had to find a team that shared my beliefs and that also had the right experience. Black women are the last to be tested for hair texture. We created something that celebrates healthy hair for all women, including us. It is a project that is more than just a business for me. Having access to proven ingredients, and creating our own technology that is patent-pending, gave us the ability to create a line that works universally. Adding oil to my head and covering my hair at night are things I use to maintain a healthy head of hair. I sleep with cute rollers on my hair, but I try to avoid getting my hair wet. We can wear wigs and natural hair, but how do we allow it to accentuate who we are without defining who we are? There is power in self-expression and in feeling free to show up as we please. I need to make time for the sacred rituals of self-care. I used to use fermented rice water as a hair ritual. It is much easier and instant to add water, and we added rose to make it smell better. One of the beautiful things that inspired this line was respecting these ancient traditions and mixing them with technology and science.
I saw in my mother's hair salon that textured hair could be healthy. I've learned a lot from working with the best hair professionals in the world. I see hair that has more than one texture on one head. I hope we can honor the sacred rituals of our past while providing education and cutting-edge science to the hair care community. We have seen her in action, and she embraces it. In these moments of construction, she is in her flow, tinkering with the seemingly invisible pieces until all is in place. In the world of Cécred, Bey is dealing with both worlds, but she doesn't separate them. She has found her own way to guide, give meaning and let her hair down over the last 25 years.
The website cecred.com will be launched Feb 20.
The photograph was taken by Andre D. Wagner.
Brooklyn White-Grier wrote it.
Shiona Turini styled it.
Hair and makeup are done by Neal Farinah at Draped Collective.
The set design was created by Bette Adams at MHS Artists.
Photography assistants are Tyler Woodford and Juliet Wolf.
Tutu Lee is the lighting director.
The lighting team is made up of: Jake Reardon, Hisham Abahusayn, and Zack Bartlett.
Ryan Dodson is a wardrobe supervisor.
The assistants were EJ Ellison, Jaiin Kang, and Milton Dixon.
Ziff Anthony is in the hair team at Parkwood.
Sarah Thacker is a makeup assistant.
Ayumi Namaizawa is a nail assistant.
The set assistants are: Christian Senrud, M Czerwinski, Graham Law, and Nicky Buzzerio.
Tim White and Shirlee Idzakovich are tailors.
The Morrison Group produced it.
Ryan Bremond and Myeka Williams are the assistant directors.
Alaura Wong and Christina Najar are production managers.
The production assistants are: Jordan Mack, Dion O'Joe, Danica Morrison, and Frankie Benkovic.
Shot at Milk Studios.
Special thanks to the creative teams of Cécred and Parkwood Entertainment.