Eileen Perrier

The atmosphere was vibrant, energetic and full of confidence. Attendees had made a real effort. There were live hair demonstrations, fashion shows, educational talks and countless stalls selling Afro hair and beauty products. It felt like a safe space where people could celebrate Black style and creativity and express themselves freely.

I had seen the Afro Hair and Beauty Show advertised in Black Beauty & Hair magazine and was curious to learn more. While at university, I came across Kobena Mercer’s book Welcome to the Jungle (1994), which helped me to think more deeply about my interest in collecting hair products and develop my ideas around Afro hair. Some of these carried personal memories, while others addressed wider cultural questions around Black beauty standards. I remember how powerful it was as a teenager to see Lorraine Pascale on the cover of i-D magazine with her gap tooth and shaved head.

When I first arrived at the show, I photographed everything. Then I noticed a double-decker bus with a Dark & Lovely hair relaxant advert on the back. I felt the oversized lips would work well as a backdrop for the portrait series I would develop that year. While looking for people to photograph, I saw the girl with the blue hair, who was modelling for one of the hairdressers. She had such presence that I thought she might say no to being photographed. I’m glad she didn’t.

Looking at her portrait now, what stands out is the blue. It’s echoed in the wig, the blue contact lenses, her eye make-up, T-shirt, jeans and even her flip phone case. Then there are all the little details: the gold necklaces, the bracelet made from sweets worn on her upper arm, the curly keyring and the Calvin Klein waistband peeking above her jeans – small things that express her boldness and sense of style. They place the image firmly in a particular moment in time and suggest someone on the threshold between adolescence and adulthood.

The sense of pride, individuality and celebration drew me back to the event at Alexandra Palace over a number of years. The photographs I took there remind me of a time when I rarely saw people who looked like me represented in mainstream media or fashion imagery. They document not only hairstyles and fashion, but also the confidence, creativity and individuality of Black British culture at that time. I’m grateful that I chose to make this work.

^{Eileen Perrier is a photographer living in London. She talked and corresponded with Enrico Tassi.}