This post is the first in a new ongoing series called Fur We Love, where we focus on women's relationship to their hair and the routines they've built around haircare. We talked to Stacy Collado, a New York based model and dance artist, about embracing her curls, taking inspo from her hair icons, and how she dries her hair with a t-shirt.
Do you have a daily haircare routine?
My haircare routine is really no-fuss and minimal, very much reflecting who I am day-to-day. I condition five days out of the week, and I honestly shampoo maybe once a month unless I have a shoot and my hair gets pounded with lots of product. My hair is course and dry and doesn’t need the soapy wash as often, but I do wet it every day and then I’ve been using Ouai leave-in conditioner which I really like! That’s it - no gels, no sprays, all very easy and natural! Although I am interested in adding hair oils in the mix for extra hydration.
What hairstyle makes you feel the most confident?
These days I feel most confident when my hair is just out and poofy, doing it’s thing, preferably on a day when I don’t do anything to it but wet it a little. My curls thrive when they’re a bit dirty and wild.
What's one trick that always works for you?
One trick that always works for me when I REALLY need to have a good hair day is drying my hair with a cotton t-shirt and then sleeping on a French braid! My curls wake up happy and not matted.
How has your relationship to your hair changed over time? Have you always embraced your curls?
My relationship with my hair has been so tumultuous! Being raised in my Dominican family meant getting hair relaxers and blow drying my hair to achieve that soft and long European look that the women in my family idealized. They would (and still do!) refer to my hair as “pelo malo” which literally translates to “bad hair.” Now, straightening my hair just doesn’t feel like me... but this is such a recent realization! I’ve learned to embrace it over time, and it’s been freeing to be able to recognize that straight, soft hair is lovely but it isn’t the only way to be beautiful.
What's one hairstyle you had to try, but are happy to leave in the past?
I had an undercut in college, that hairstyle that people were doing where they pretty much shaved the bottom half of their hair off? I’ve always dreamt of shaving my head bald so I think I needed to get part of that out of my system, but very glad to leave my undercut in the past!
Who's your hair icon?
Diana Ross’s ‘fro is iconic! Her hair, to me, exudes such confidence and freedom. I try to be on that level. Solange, as well, is big one for me! She’s always owning her natural hair in interesting ways which I try to emulate.
What do you love the most about your hair?
What I love most about my hair is that it’s a different beast every day, that it does what it wants, and that it thrives in its complete naturalness. I like to think I lead the rest of my life in the same way.
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