Braided Beauties: Inspiring Protective Styles From Essence Festival 2025
Although this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture has come to a close, protective style season is still in full swing. And, what better place to find Black hair inspiration than […] The post Braided Beauties: Inspiring Protective Styles From Essence Festival 2025 appeared first on Essence.
Black News 
By India Espy-Jones ·Updated July 14, 2025 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Although this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture has come to a close, protective >one festival goer told King. “Cowrie shells used to be used as currency in Africa.” With African references at a head, another goer honored the Bantu people, specifically from the Zulu group, with braided bantu knots. “We love our plats, and we love a good bantu,” she said.
Meanwhile, hair beads are one of the most preserved hair decals in the African diaspora, connecting us to our ancestors while preserving the communal culture of braiding. Wearing her daughter’s black beads in an updo braided by her sister, Raquel, “I just added a few beads to kind of make it ‘ching-ching’,” another woman said.
Beyoncé’s butterfly cut, a layered cut with tousled, effortless waves, has been trending. And, one goer turned the look into straight back butterfly braids. “I wear a lot of ponytails in my hair,” she said. “I wanted to do something different for Essence Fest, something cultural.”
Other popularrel="tag">2025 Essence Festival of Culture braid trends
The post Braided Beauties: Inspiring Protective Styles From Essence Festival 2025 appeared first on Essence.
