Episodes
-
WATCH PART 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlE8Ke9uK0&t=15s
LISTEN TO PART 1 - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hHyO6ZvKBsj8HicNPnBCQ?si=Xwr6cSQDQwS97fN_z-8dpw
WATCH PART 2 - https://youtu.be/bi9KHGvSyeY
Join me on this special BONUS crossover episode of Texture Talks and Mixed Up Podcast as I sit down with hosts Emma Slade Edmondson and Nicole Ocran, of The Mixed Up Podcast and multi-passionate creative Oneness Sankara to discuss and debate CANDIDLY the issues with the curl typing system, what 4C even means, ad whether we need to get rid of the system altogether to be able to not just better connect as a community but start seeing some REAL RESULTS on our natural hair care journeys!
Together, we unpack how we, as black and mixed-race women, can speak honestly to each other properly about our hair, knowing and acknowledging we all have differing challenges but that us individually talking about them openly doesn't take away from one another's experiences.
We also discuss some important topics, such as expectations around "who has it worse" and break down the myth of how "difficult" it is to have Black hair.
This episode is in collaboration with The Mixed Up Podcast, which is hosted by the amazing Emma Slade Edmondson and Nicole Ocran.
Head there to watch Part 1!
Texture Talks:
Website: https://www.texturetalks.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/texturetalksuk/
Texture Talks Merch
Website: https://www.teamtexture.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/team.texture/
Oneness:
https://www.instagram.com/thepurposementor/
Mixed Up Podcast
https://www.instagram.com/mixedup.podcast
Website: https://www.mixedup.co.uk/
Substack: https://mixeduppod.substack.com
Pre-order Nicole and Emmas book The Half Of It: https://lnkfi.re/nf0upC
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
I speak to professional Rugby Player, and Junior Doctor Simi Pam, who after realising the serious harm the sport was inflicting on her natural coils, was forced to make serious changes to protect her afro, leading her on a journey where everything from her femininity and sense of self to her understanding of what professional help was available was challenged.
Playing any sport will always have a natural impact on how you are able to care for and maintain your natural hair, especially when you have afro and curly hair, however when playing contact or collision sports such as Rugby at a professional level, the potential for damage only further increases, threatening over time to cause irreparable harm that can never be repaired.FOLLOW SIMI ON SOCIALS
INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
Missing episodes?
-
I speak to Lekia Lee Founder of Project Embrace about how we feel about our hair, the rituals and routines we practice, the terminologies we use, and our perceptions of beauty, start incredibly young.
As children we take in our surroundings in a very matter-of-fact way, often times internalising what we see, experience, or hear and carrying these themes long into adulthood, without necessarily even realising their impacts.I talk to Lekia about her childhood journey with her hair, her self love and her culture whilst also taking a look into some of the insights extracted from a new report she curated this year, to understand black women's relationships with their hair.
This episode gives the community a painful but much needed insight into not only the importance of the environments we raise our black children in, but also the ramifications of neglecting to understand the significance of how these environments can impact the trauma they carry as adults.
FOLLOW LEKIA ON SOCIALS
LEKIA INSTAGRAM
PROJECT EMBRACE INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
Teresa Richardson has spent over a decade building one of the few black, female led trichology clinics in the country that specialise in afro and curly hair, with her daughter Eleanore Richardson.
On this episode we will be talking about Teresa Richardsons journey from afro hairdresser to highly esteemed consultant Trichologist and worked tirelessly against all odds to create a clean, safe environment for our community to get the help they need and deserve.
We also unpack why trichology is still so new to the black community, and why science backed hair care assistance could be what we've all been missing!
FOLLOW FULHAM SCALP AND HAIR ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
Having the freedom to explore new hairstyles is a huge part of a black womans creative self expression. However, when working in TV and Broadcast Media, creating content promoted to millions of viewers from both inside and outside of your own community, the question of how you want to be perceived and understood is one that will have to be asked.
During this interview I will unpack the experience of popular black British female TV Presenter, Scarlette Douglas, who much like many of us, wants to try new looks and hairstyles, showcasing the beauty of her natural hair one day and the variety of braids, bantu knots or extensions the next, whilst still protecting the health of her hair AND progressing and flourishing in her career.We discuss the power of visibility and representation in the media for younger generations of talented people of colour that are looking for faces that are reminiscent of their own, and dig into what we feel needs to change in the landscape of TV to perpetuate an ongoing positive narrative for the black community who may themselves strive to one day also see themselves in the media.
FOLLOW SCARLETTE ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
For many men they often feel unable to be as vulnerable and open with their thoughts and feelings as their female counterparts. This feeling of quiet isolation is only further exacerbated in the black community, but with mental health becoming more of a topic of conversation for black men than it's ever been before, more spaces for discussion and vulnerability are presenting themselves.
On this episode we will speak to Mark Maciver, to get his perspective as a barber and mental health advocate on why he feels many black men have such close knit relationships with their barbers, and really discussing how that trip for a shape up helps many manage their mental health and wellbeing.
Barber shop therapy is not a new concept, but one that is yet to truly be dissected and understood from the perspective of the 'therapist' himself.
FOLLOW MARK ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
Black women spend much of our lives trying, testing and playing with different hairstyles, looks, lengths and colors. We have become masters at shapeshifting into different environments, oftentimes altering our appearances in order to fit into the spaces we find ourselves in.
Whether wearing a straight wig for a corporate workplace, or laying your baby hairs for an upcoming date, have we ever considered the real reasons behind why we make these choices, or thought about the long term impact to our sense of selves, mental health, and journey of self love and acceptance from frequently transitioning from one mask to another?
I speak to Anna-Theresa Jieman PhD candidate in Psychology at the Queen Mary University of London who is currently researching Black Women and their triggers for depression and anxiety, who joins me to discuss insights from her study and talk about how shapeshifting between hairstyles can impact our sense of self.
FOLLOW ANNA ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STUDY
BWID STUDY
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
Fola Evans-Akingbola is both a critically acclaimed actor and activist for the rights of her community. As a curly haired woman of color working in film and TV Fola, has been forced to experience feelings of frustration and isolation simply due to having a curlier hair texture than her straighter haired colleagues on set.
From constantly having to guide and direct stylists on how to simply do their jobs due to their lack of experience with her curl pattern to have to go as far as to create her own ‘how to’ video to guide ‘professionals’ on set to avoid any mistakes or damage to her natural hair, Fola, much like many of her peers, has frequently had to invest time, energy and resources into making sure her hair is properly cared for when she should be focussing on the role she's been hired to play.
As a result, Fola created an incredible documentary, Untold Stories: Hair on Set, to highlight these issues, allowing a range of male and female creatives in her space to be able to speak their truths, helping raise awareness and bring this discrimination to an end.
I talk to Fola about her reasons for creating the documentary, some of the stand out moments for her on her hair care journey, and look forward to what needs to change in order for the incredible work she initiated with her documentary to continue.
FOLLOW FOLA ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW UNTOLD STORIES: HAIR ON SET
INSTAGRAM
WEBSITE
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
I speak to Actor, Writer-Director and Star of Critically Acclaimed TV Show "Dreaming Whilst Black" Adjani Salmon, who joins me to discuss his loc journey both personally and professionally in depth!
For many of us in the black community wearing our natural afro hair, especially in western environments comes with a range of hurdles in itself, from being forced to explain yourself, your aesthetic and your culture to those around you who are curious, to having to constantly consider how you will be perceived when you step into new spaces.Now picture this experience with your hair loc'd, the experience for a large majority often only intensifies. On this episode of Texture Talks we will be digging into Actor and Film Director Adjani Salmons loc journey, learning about the reasons behind his choice to grow freeform locs, how they have shaped his sense of self and what impact his choice of hairstyle has had on his ability to excel creatively and professionally in film and TV.
FOLLOW ADJANI ON SOCIALS:
https://www.instagram.com/s.adjani/
https://twitter.com/theadjani
FOLLOW DREAMING WHILST BLACK:
https://www.instagram.com/dreamingwhilstblack/
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
The afro and curly haired community invest millions into their hair care routines, products, styling and maintenance every year, with the number only increasing.
There are hundreds of new potential vendors, ranges of products, hair stylists and brands for us to choose from, with more launching every day, targeting our community as customers for whatever hair care solution they are selling. In the midst of all of this, how do we know who to trust?
With the hair industry still functioning without any regulations, how can curly haired consumers protect themselves against poor service, toxic products and potential physical and emotional neglect at the hands of those who are not armed with the skills and understanding of our hair to be able to truly help us? How can we create a quality assurance process to help vet companies and professionals before we invest our money and time into them and raise the bar for the standards of service offered to our community as a whole?
FOLLOW RACHEL ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW CURL ID:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
For years retail environments for black hair care products and services have been lacking the same upmarket aesthetic and customer service promoted by the beauty industry targeting those outside of the black community.
With black consumers now suffering issues of abuse, neglect and racism when buying the hair care products they need, it's more important than ever to lift up, promote and support black owned businesses serving the community.
I speak to CEO of natural product discovery box TreasureTress, Jamelia Donaldson, who joins me to discuss raising the bar for the black beauty industry, and why re-aligning the standard for black hair care to global beauty standards is so important.
FOLLOW JAMELIA ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
FOLLOW TREASURETRESS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
WATCH THE EPISODE ON YOUTUBE
https://youtu.be/dYVV-XgNF1s
If you enjoy the show, please sign the petition for Texture Talks to be adapted into a TV Show!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/adapt-texture-talks-into-a-tv-show
Listen to this emotional recap of Season One from Paige Lewin, Founder and Host of the Texture Talks Podcast, the UKs only active podcast for the curly and afro haired community as she talks candidly about how creating the podcast has changed her life forever.Paige gives emotional stories from behind the scenes that she's told nobody, talks about the highlights of her first season, hardest challenges as a content creator, and gives some insightful tips, tricks and advice to other content creators, podcasters or aspiring podcasters to help them on their own journeys.
Message from Paige
Creating this podcast has truly been one of the most rewarding journeys of my entire life.
I have connected with so many incredible people in such an authentic, honest, and incredibly beautiful way that makes me so proud of us, our strength and our resilience as a community of people.
FOLLOW MY JOURNEY
https://www.instagram.com/texturetalksuk/
WATCH AND LISTEN TO SEASON ONE
https://www.texturetalks.co.uk/episodes
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
WATCH EPISODE
https://youtu.be/ZmD0TNQYKZE
If you enjoy the show, please sign the petition for Texture Talks to be adapted into a TV Show!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/adapt-texture-talks-into-a-tv-show
On Episode 027 of Texture Talks, I will be doing an in depth Q&A Session with Enitan Agidee, NHS Trained Afro Trichologist Science Hair Coach and owner of a multiple award winning product line of hair care products. Enitan is also the founder of the Healthy Hair Studio based in London, which aims to dispel as much misinformation as possible in the afro and curly hair community.Over the years, Enitan has continued to update her knowledge by taking numerous training; she also went ahead to become a Trichologist which was a heavy time and financial investment. But she understood that it was necessary to get the essential science foundation and credibility which would enable her to fill the gap desperately needed in the black hair community.
Join us on the Season Finale of Texture Talks, where we spend an hour digging into the toughest questions in the community, some of the biggest statements from across the season, and to learn some new information straight from Enitan that many of us have likely never heard before.
This is a BIG episode and not one to be missed!
Learn more about Enitan:
https://www.healthyhairstudio.co.uk
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
If you enjoy the show, please sign the petition for Texture Talks to be adapted into a TV Show!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/adapt-texture-talks-into-a-tv-show
On Episode 026, of the penultimate episode of Season One of Texture Talks, I will be speaking to Tanisha Shedden, a Counselor Coach and speaker but also a transracial adoptee who was raised by white parents.This made her natural hair Journey very unique , together we unpack the cultural impact for black children and children of colour, that are adopted into white families or families outside of their own race, and discuss ways we feel as women of colour ourselves this can be remedied to ensure that the children are able to still feel a connection to who they are or a distance fro. the hair they have on their heads.
This was such an incredible conversation, and I can't wait to share it with you!
Tanisha Shedden, also has her own podcast @foundlifepod where she posts about mental health and healing and Trauma which you should definitely check out!
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
If you enjoy the show, please sign the petition for Texture Talks to be adapted into a TV Show!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/adapt-texture-talks-into-a-tv-show
On Episode 025 of Season One of Texture Talks, I will be speaking to Natural Hair Care Influencer, _QueenLike_ aka Sarah Jorge who shares her experience growing up in Germany and learning how to love her natural curls with little to know resources, education or representation around her.
From next to no places to shop to buy black hair care products, to being the only black girl in a predominantly white school, Sarah vulnerably speaks her truths, and shares some of her staple hair care tips in the process for all of us to take away and try ourselves!
CONNECT WITH SARAH
https://www.instagram.com/_queenlike_/
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
If you enjoy the show, please sign the petition for Texture Talks to be adapted into a TV Show!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/adapt-texture-talks-into-a-tv-show
On Episode 024 of Texture Talks, I will be speaking to Juniper Johnson, a West African American artist based in Florida and the creator of an exciting project called "Heavy is the Head" that aims to honour and showcase the rich history of Black hair, celebrating diversity and self-expression within the Black community.Inspired by Afro Sheen commercials, Jet and Ebony magazines, "Heavy is the Head" will feature a curated collection of photographs, stories, and historical accounts. It's vital for the Black community to see themselves represented and understood. Additionally, they will also highlight the Crown Act, addressing the discrimination against Black hair across different states, and I wanted the full early scoop before it's official release at the beginning of October!
HEAVY IS THE HEAD INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/heavyistheheadfilm/
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
If you enjoy the show, please sign the petition for Texture Talks to be adapted into a TV Show!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/adapt-texture-talks-into-a-tv-show
On Episode 022 of Texture Talks, I will be speaking to Sadia Kabeya, an English rugby union player who plays for England internationally, and has been vocal in the press about her experiences as a black woman playing a sport that is known well for being for a predominantly white, middle classed audience, and how this environment has impacted her on her hair care journey.Join us as we speak candidly and openly about what needs to change to allow more black girls like Sadia to feel more comfortable following in her footsteps.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SADIA
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
If you enjoy the show, please sign the petition for Texture Talks to be adapted into a TV Show!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/adapt-texture-talks-into-a-tv-show
On Episode 022 of Texture Talks, I will be speaking to Angela Stewart, a Professional Hair and makeup Artist that specialises in Afro Hair.
For over a year she's been teaching the joy of Afro Hair Knowledge to Film schools and independent learners alike, and I wanted to understand what led her onto this journey as an educator, what some of the most memorable hair care experiences of the people she teaches have been, and get some tips, ideas and guidance from her career so far for our own natural hair care journeys, some of which will REALLY surprise you!
Connect with Angela
https://www.texturetalks.co.uk/episode-022-angela-stewart
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
If you enjoy the show, please sign the petition for Texture Talks to be adapted into a TV Show!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/adapt-texture-talks-into-a-tv-show
WATCH EPISODE NOW - https://youtu.be/Piwn3w3sJwQ
On episode 021 of Texture Talks, I will be interviewing Badria Ahmed, Founder of Holy Curls, a UK-based textured hair care brand for waves, curls, coils and everything in between, that is boldly moving in a new direction.
As from 2022, they have removed all references of typing hair in numbers and letters (3a/4b etc). This system, as you are aware, was created by Andre Walker and has been the go to hair typing system in the industry. However, describing hair by their curl pattern only shows half the picture.
Badria felt it was time to change the conversion about curls and talk about it from a more holistic approach. Prescribing oils and butters for all hair fibres is NOT going to provide moisture, brands and stylists have to dig a little deeper below the surface......
Join our interview, talking in detail about Holy Curls incredible campaign, 'Curls 2.0' which was born out of the realisation that the way brands currently speak to their customers about their curl care simply isn't good enough.
The Texture Talks Podcast is an honest, insightful and often hilarious deep dive into the ups and downs of daily life for the curly, kinky and afro hair community fronted by a straight-talking, dry-humoured black female host with over 15 years experience caring for her afro hair with a hell of a lot to say about it! You'll get the real on Paige's first-hand experiences, unpopular opinions, and heartfelt truths. Expect a mix of gritty guest interviews and solo storytelling like you've never heard before.
CHECK OUT THE TEXTURE TALKS:
https://www.texturetalks.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/texturetalksuk/?hl=en
CHECK OUT HOLY CURLS PRODUCTS:
https://www.holycurls.com/
https://www.instagram.com/holycurls/?hl=en
SHOP MY INFINITY JUMPSUIT @ AFI AKOS
https://www.instagram.com/afi_akos/?hl=en
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE -
If you enjoy the show, please sign the petition for Texture Talks to be adapted into a TV Show!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/adapt-texture-talks-into-a-tv-show
On episode 20 of Texture Talks I'll be joined by Keziah Dhamma, Founder and CEO of Swirly Curly Hair Care Products, who much like many of us in the afro and curly haired community, struggled to find products, routines and advice about her curls that actually worked.
In addition to creating this incredible product line born of her own challenges with her hair, Keziah has also invested her time heavily in education, launching her very own Curl College, and Swirly Curly method to help break down the stigmas, crack open the myths, and really explain curly and coily hair in a beautifully simple way that I personally have never heard our hair explained before...I listened and think its the easiest guide and the best education for our hair that I've listened to yet.
Join me and Keziah as we talk about her experiences with her curls growing up in Sacremento California, the difficulties and bad advice she got along the way, some amazing tips and tricks we can take away and use ourselves and I dig into what makes the Swirly Curly method so different to the countless other methods we've all heard of already so we can have the kind of beautiful, healthy curls, that we can be proud of!
Shop our natural hair products www.swirlycurlyhair.com and use code TEXTURETALKS15 for 15% off your entire order.
Join our CurlCollege community and learn via video tutorials www.curlcollege.com.
Get a FREE copy of the SwirlyCurly method book by going to www.theswirlycurlymethod.com.
Social Links For SwirlyCurly
www.instagram.com/swirlycurlyhair
www.facebook.com/swirlycurly
www.youtube.com/@swirlycurlyhair
Stay in touch with Keziah
www.instagram.com/keziahdhamma
www.facebook.com/keziahdhamma
FOLLOW TEXTURE TALKS ON SOCIALS:
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
WEBSITE - Show more
