Charlotte Mensah
Charlotte Mensah | |
---|---|
Born | Charlotte Irene Mensah May 1970 |
Alma mater | London College of Fashion |
Years active | 1986–present |
Children | 2 |
Website | www |
Charlotte Irene Mensah (born May 1970) is a British/Ghanaian hairstylist. She is the founder and creative director of Hair Lounge, on London's Portobello Road. In November 2018 she became the first black woman to be inducted into the British Hairdressing Hall of Fame.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Early life and education
[edit]Mensah was born in Hampstead, North West London. She spent her early childhood with her grandparents in Accra before returning to London at age 11.[7] She honed her skills styling her younger sister's hair after their mother passed away when Mensah was 13. A school counsellor suggested Mensah go into the field professionally,[8] and at age 16 in 1986, she began working at Splinters, Britain's first black hair dresser.[9] She went on to study Hair Theory at the London College of Fashion.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Mensah lives in Notting Hill[11] with her husband and their two children.[12]
Awards and recognition
[edit]Some of the awards she has won for her work include:[13][1][2][14]
- 2012 - Weave Stylist of the Year and Hair Stylist of the Year at Beauty/Sensationnel Hair Awards
- 2013 - UK's best Afro Hairdresser of the Year at the British Hairdressing Awards
- 2014 - UK's best Afro Hairdresser of the Year at the British Hairdressing Awards
- 2017 - UK's best Afro Hairdresser of the Year at the British Hairdressing Awards
In February 2024, she was interviewed about her life and career on the BBC World Service's Witness History.[15]
Philanthropy
[edit]Charlotte Mensah Academy
[edit]She founded the Charlotte Mensah Academy, through which she organises workshops to train young, less fortunate individuals in Ghana her skill.[16][17][18]
Ladies of Visionary Empowerment (LOVE)
[edit]She also founded the Ladies of Visionary Empowerment which aims at furthering education opportunities and empowerment for young women in Africa.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "First black woman to be inducted into the British Hairdressers Hall of fame is a Ghanaian". www.ghanaweb.com. 2019-02-04. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ a b Effah, K. (2019-01-27). "The Ghanaian hairdresser inducted into the British Hairdressing hall of fame". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ Samuel, Amegavi (2018-11-28). "BHA Hall Of Fame: Meet the first black woman to be inducted!". Glam Africa. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ Michael Love Michael (2018-12-06). "This Black Hair Stylist Just Made British History". PAPER. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ Diner, Jessica (2018-11-27). "Charlotte Mensah Is The First Black Woman To Be Inducted Into The British Hairdressing Awards Hall Of Fame". British Vogue. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ "Teaching how to care for afro hair". BBC News. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ Ferreira, Johanna. "Charlotte Mensah taps the Power of Nature to Transform Hair Care". Thirteen Lune. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "Lounging in Charlotte's web". Melan. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ Wood, Jess. "In conversation with Charlotte Mensah". The Outnet. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ Kia, Kara (2019-08-02). "Here's How Charlotte Mensah Became 1 of the Most Sought-After Black Hairstylists in the UK". POPSUGAR Beauty UK. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ Hashish, Amira (21 April 2023). "Why I live in Notting Hill: haircare queen Charlotte Mensah on the glitzy London enclave where community ties run deep". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ Fetto, Funmi (18 October 2020). "Charlotte Mensah: 'Hair became a form of healing'". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ Ringwood, Robbie. "Ghanaian Charlotte Mensah winner of Stylist of the Year & Weave Stylist of the Year at BlackBeauty/Sensationnel Awards London". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ "Ghanaian CHARLOTTE MENSAH is the toast of the UK's Afro Hairdressing Industry". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ "Witness History | Queen of the 'fro". BBC Sounds. 5 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Charlotte Mensah". Hairtribe. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ "The First Black Female Hairdresser is Inducted into the BHA Hall of Fame". Dazed Digital. 2018-11-28. Archived from the original on 2018-11-28. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
- ^ "charlotte mensah Archives". ThandieKay. Archived from the original on 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2019-10-22.