CHARLOTTE MENSAH has made history as she became the first black female hairdresser inducted into The British Hairdressing Awards Hall Of Fame.
Taking to social media on Tuesday (Nov 27), Mensah posted an image of herself at the British Hairdressing Awards. She wrote: “Officially the first black female hairdresser to be inducted into British Hairdressing Awards HALL OF FAME @hairdressersjournal @schwarzkopfprouk .It’s been an incredible journey so far .... Thankful to God my family and all the support I’ve received.”
Mensah’s career has spanned three decades as she has been a key figure in Afro and textured hairstyling. Her salon - Hair Lounge, in Notting Hill, was launched in 1999 after she applied for funding from The Prince’s Trust and she has gained a huge following and celebrity clientele including Jada Pinkett-Smith, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae plus more.
Speaking to British Vogue at the award ceremony, the London College of Fashion graduate said: “To be the first black woman to win this award is such a wonderful feeling - and also very humbling.
“I hope that I can act as an inspiration to the younger generation who might want to get into hairdressing - to show that anything is possible if you stay focused, work hard and follow your gut. Being able to fly the flag for afro and natural hair textures in the UK is such a huge privilege - it’s greatly rewarding to be recognised and celebrated by it’s greatly rewarding to be recognised and celebrated by my peers."
Read every story in our hardcopy newspaper for free by downloading the app.