Inside Of Naeemah LaFond’s Texture On Set 2026

Texture On Set, a hair conference and show founded by celebrity hairstylist Naeemah LaFond, returned to Brooklyn’s Industry City (just steps away from the ESSENCE HQ) yesterday morning. The doors opened at 10 A.M., inviting Black hairstylists and industry pros alike to an industrial warehouse to chat about all things textured hair, hosted by celebrity makeup artist and It Takes A Village podcast’s Delina Medhin. 

The 7-hour event kicked off with a red carpet and live demonstration by Mitchel Cantrell and Nique Strose, followed by LaFond’s opening remarks to inaugurate the event. Then, by 11 A.M., the first panel was underway with a timeless message. “Don’t try to make curly hair conform,” said hairstylist and Olaplex global ambassador Christin Brown in the Olaplex Presents Curl Care demonstration. Next to Brown was session hairstylist and winner of the event’s Rising Visionary Award Dre Demry, who said this moment is full circle since she watched Brown’s demo from the audience last year. 

Using a line-up of Olaplex products (including an unreleased hair spray), the twosrc="https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/04/IMG_7560-1-scaled.jpg" alt="Inside Of Naeemah LaFond’s Texture On Set 2026" width="400" height="600" />Courtesy of @migi.pics

Next, founder and CEO of The Doux Maya Smith arrived on stage to introduce the next panel. “Textured hair care is always ever-evolving,” she said. “Those stories are things we can never forget.” Introducing makeup artist Michaela Wariebi, The Doux-sponsored presentation took a look back at the Couresy of @kaitsehay

Before the Transatlantic Slave Trade, “you could see someone with a certain hair decoding="async" src="https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/04/IMG_2092-scaled.jpg" alt="Inside Of Naeemah LaFond’s Texture On Set 2026" width="400" height="599" />Courtesy of Jean Paul Dia

It wasn’t until the early 1900s that we saw a transition from kitchen hairstyling to the first Black hair salon, which was turning point. “This is also where we see the invention of the hot comb,” she said. While this famous tool isn’t officially attributed to one inventor, in her belief, she said she thinks the comb first originated from a descendant from the Mende tribe in Ghana, where iron workers doubled as hairstylists. From then on, Black innovation saw the first Black millionaire Madame CJ Walker and sew-ins by Christina Jenkins all the way up to the Black Power movement, Cicely Tyson’s braids on the cover of Jet, and Detroit as a Black hair Mecca. Needless to say, Wariebi’s presentation ended with a standing ovation.

In the next panel, Oribe presented “Editorial Styling” by Stacey Ciceron just shy of 1 P.M. She demonstrated something that sounds simple, but actually isn’t: a ponytail. “I’ve been really into ballroom hair,” she said of how to execute the look on textured hair. Starting with Oribe’s Invisible Defense Universal Protection Spray, she built the foundation of the ponytail before bumping it up with shine, like hairspray or oil. But, this time, she used the new Supershine Smoothing Wax Stick for a satin finish (as seen at Diotima’s FW26 show) and the Superfine Strong Hair Spray. 

“We’re going to work in panels which is going to get the hair super flat,” she said, instead of just brushing it back, avoiding ridges and bumps. Then, she used the airflow of a blow dryer to lock all three panels into a single ponytail while smoothing the hair with a comb. Then, of course, secured with an elastic. 

After Ciceron’s ponytail demo, the event broke out into a cocktail hour for stylists to network all the while a demonstration by African Creature and Christina Rendall turned into a whole hair fashion spectacle. Then, SalonCentric presented a live photo shoot led by Naeemah LaFond. There, the Texture on Set founder demonstrated how to quickly transition between different hair decoding="async" src="https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/04/IMG_2091-scaled.jpg" alt="Inside Of Naeemah LaFond’s Texture On Set 2026" width="400" height="599" />Courtesy of Jean Paul Dia

At 3 P.M., the panel discussions reconvened with a Pattern Beauty-sponsored presentation called “Photo References” by Tracee Ellis Ross’ hairstylist Chuck Amos. He took us through his introduction of high fashion hair on the cover of Essence magazine in the ‘90s to the importance of hair placement, like Ross’ iconic 360-degree ponytail. 

Then, Amos’ presentation ended with a surprise that left him in tears. “Chuck can do anything and it’s never at the expense of your hair,” said Tracee Ellis Ross in a pre-recorded video dedicated to her trusted hairstylist for over 20 years. In a slick back and bright red lipstick, she listed off all the reasons she values their relationship. And, best of all, “he does all of this through the lens of loving texture.”

In the next hour, Olaplex returned to the stage in a panel moderated by founder of MindCandyBeauty Lyric Christian, joined by cosmetic chemist Javon Ford, trichologist Bridgette Hill, and Christin Brown from the “Curl Care” demonstration. There, they chatted about the science of products for textured hair and answered many burning questions, including the infamous: How should we actually be using oil?

“Everyone sitting in here has an anecdotal story about some miracle oil,” said Hill. While there are oils on the market clinically proven to target dryness and inflammation, “I am personally and professionally a fan of pre-oil shampooing.” That means oiling your scalp at the start of your wash day instead of at the end.

As the final panel of the day, The Wall Group, a management agency for artists including Naeemah LaFond, talked to artists about securing representation. To end this year’s event, the Texture on Set Awards honored the frontrunners leading the charge on textured hair. Winners included Industry Icon Ursula Stephen, Living Legend Itaysha Jordan, and Rising Visionary Dre Demry. 

By the end, the room was buzzing with inspiration for textured hair. And, in the words of Wariebi, “our ancestors went 400 years without a comb and look at all they were able to innovate. So, the question I ask: what are you about to do with the resources you have?”

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