Beyond the Chair: Black Beauty, Fashion & Cultural Influence
Part of the BKLYN DESIGNS series!
This panel brings together beauty professionals, stylists, researchers, and authors to explore the influence of Black hair and beauty within the fashion industry and beyond.
The conversation will examine Black beauty as a space of artistry, entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, political expression, and professional opportunity.
Panelists will discuss how Black beauty trends shape mainstream culture, the ongoing fight for equity and representation, and the realities of building meaningful careers in the industry.
Attendees will gain insight into the pathways, mentorship, research, and community connections that helps sustain Black creativity and innovation across generations. They will also be given access to resources that explore historical and contemporary connections. *
By bridging lived experience, scholarship, advocacy, and industry expertise, the panel seeks to inspire emerging creatives while honoring the legacy and future of Black beauty culture.
*Trial Access to the Fashion & Race Database has been generously donated to attendees, by Kimberley M. Jenkins, the Founder of Fashion & Race Database and CEO of Artis Solomon
LaCresha Neal is a Business & Career Senior Librarian, WorkLife blog contributor, and coordinator of Glow & Grow: Beauty Business Essentials. She empowers entrepreneurs through business education and research assistance with a focus on beauty entrepreneurship, market insights, and supporting targeted community initiatives that support small business development across Brooklyn.
Monaè Everett is a celebrity hairstylist, educator, author, and diversity and inclusion speaker with 20+ years of experience across beauty, fashion, entertainment, editorial, red carpet, advertising, and live event styling. Her work explores the intersection of Black beauty, hair, culture, politics, and the business of fashion, with a focus on texture inclusion, representation, cultural ownership, and the ways hair can function as both personal expression and public statement. She is the founder of the Texture Style Awards and holds degrees in Public Relations and Mass Media and Criticism, with a minor in Sociology, from George Mason University.
Amber Lauren is a culture journalist, digital creator, and creative multi-hyphenate. A Brooklyn native of Jamaican descent, her words earned her a spot on the Carib Biz Network’s 2026 “100+ Caribbean Ones to Watch”. As an interviewer, she has worked with several cultural institutions such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Brooklyn Public Library. February 2025 saw the relaunch of her educational brainchild, “Black Fashion History in 90 seconds”. Currently, the digital series boasts over 500,000 views across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. In addition to amassing a combined following of over 14,000 across said platforms. With over a decade of media experience under her belt, Amber seeks to amplify stories of art, fashion, culture and media across the African diaspora.
Tariff Kinard is a barber-stylist and hair care professional with over 14 years of experience spanning barbering, fashion, editorial, and celebrity grooming. Trained by industry leaders including Gillian Garcia, Jawara, and the late Latisha Chong, he has built an impressive portfolio working with Telfar Clemens and contributing to major publications such as Vogue, The New York Times Magazine, Time, and Highsnobiety. His work includes Serena Williams’ final Vogue cover and Brittney Griner’s New York Times Magazine cover story. Tariff has spent the last five years assisting backstage at New York Fashion Week under Jawara and Lacy Redway. He is also the owner of The Stoop Hair, a barbershop he has operated with his twin brother, Quan, for the past eight years.
