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New York's Coolest New Festival Has Nothing To Do With Music

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Photographed by Rochelle Brockington.
Festivals are synonymous with fashion, yummy food, amazing bands, and nearly-unbearable weather conditions. And, of course, hair. Some of the boldest (and budding) trends debut at some of the biggest, including Coachella and Afropunk. But, with all due respect, we've got a new contender to take the crown: Brooklyn's very own Curlfest, held at Prospect Park this past weekend.
What the heck is CurlFest? Well, you still get all of the fashion, food, and music that your heart desires. But this event, free to all, is a celebration of natural hair and Black beauty. The fourth annual event, dreamt up by the Curly Girl Collective, has already reached "It" status. The founders told us that the crowds have quadrupled in size from the first year, with people flying in from Brazil and South Africa to see and be seen. And it's not just because of the swanky gift bags, packed with full-sized products from our favorite brands. No, Curlfest is also a reminder for Black women to dust off their crowns, like the queens that they are.
The sentiment between the women behind Curly Girl Collective —Tracey, Charisse, Simone, Melody, and Gia — is clear: Black women should be celebrated. The founders explain that often times, women of color forget that fact while in many settings where they aren't the majority. That's why they created this opportunity: A chance for Black women to all look around and admire people in our likeness — and we did just that.
As you might imagine, spending an entire day at the festival with a photographer yields some killer beauty street style, which made it very hard to whittle down ,into one slideshow. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. See the results, ahead.
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