Bringing An Idea To Life

The Hair Appointment

Inspiration is literally everywhere and anywhere, and over the last few months the idea of a hair braiding project has been frequently on our minds. Growing up in an environment that housed many barbershops and hair salons, it was always interesting to see the various approaches people took to stand out with their new look. Though, braiding always stood out as the most interesting element of hairstyling, specifically because the aesthetic can be altered in numerous ways. The hair accessories, the outfits, the energy that associates with the idea of a new hairstyle shows how influential it can really be. For these reasons, we took matters into our own hands and gathered a team based both in Toronto and New York City to execute this beautiful idea.

It was the end of June when we decided to create a deck, assemble our team, and start to put things in motion. As frequent visitors to New York, we knew it would not be a problem to produce a project with help from a few close friends and fellow creators. We decided to get in touch with Helena Koudou of Slayed in Braids, a super talented hair stylist based in Brooklyn. As a team, we started to put things together from storytelling, talent, locations, make up, wardrobe styling, catering, etc. By July, we prepared our mood board with extreme detail, ensuring that the vision was clear to all. We were all so excited, and the fact that young kids were including as talent made everyone that much more happy.

Our goal with “The Hair Appointment” amongst other creative projects powered by Sunday School was to celebrate through content that speaks volumes. With a heavy focus on POC-driven storytelling, we strive to push the envelope, and provide a foundation for everyone to feel inspired.

Below is our brief interpretation of the project as a whole:

With every new hairstyle comes a new sense of excitement, confidence, and perspective. Thus, “The Hair Appointment” was a visual series curated to demonstrate the beauty of hairstyling as a process, a lifestyle, and an overall experience. Within the streets of Brownsville, a neighbourhood in eastern Brooklyn, we were thankfully invited by Alima of Alima’s Hair Salon and Helena Koudou of Slayed in Braids. Our team used this opportunity to offer our visual perspective of hair braiding and everything that coincides. The story features a series of ladies ranging from hair stylists that offered their perspective on the development of their skills, to models that portrayed the different styles and spoke on the impact it has on their appearance. The project was executed through both photography and videography, with an aim to capture the joy a new hairstyle brings. Additionally, we captured an intimate hair braiding session from a family home, displaying the location flexibility of hair braiding and the emotions that come with it. As a team, we felt it was essential to show children as key components to the process. Whether they’re physically learning the hair braiding routines, running around the shop, or simply getting their hair done, they add a strong element to the environment as a whole. Enjoy!

Full visual series is available at www.ssunday.co/the-hair-appointment