What hairdo are you obsessed with? Is it the wrap from the 60s or the high bun that was a winner as we rolled into the millennium? May be you have no idea when you favourite hair style was a hit. The 21st episode of the 100 Years of Beauty a project by cut celebrates different hairdos from the 19th century to date in Kenya. Below are photos of the various hair styles see where you fit in.
1910s
This is authentically Kenyan with no external influences whatsoever
1920s
Then Kenya became a British colony and immigrants came in as part of the labour needed to build the railway . These influences gave birth to the cornrows.
1930s
Two Nubian women from this era when any effort to have African representation in legislative bodies was bashed by the colonial government. One thing that they could not put down was our hair
1940s
Portrait of a Nubian family in the 1940s dresses in traditional and modern styles.Nubian families came from Sudan to Kenya to work for the British colonial army before settling in Kibera
1950s
You must have had this style at some point. It was a favourite during the MauMau era
1960s
After gaining our independence we could now do anything including taking part in the Olympics and beauty pageant. (L) Miss Kenya 1968 Josephibe Moikobu
1970s
(L) Kenya’s first lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta representing a Kenyan society with grace and style
1980s
(L) Khadija Adams Ismail gracing the 1986 Cosmopolitan Cover at a time that is considered a dark era for Kenya
1990s
(L) Miss Kenya 1999 Esther Muthoni Muthee when a new generation of Kenyan youth came about embracing numerous styles in different aspects of their lives
2000s
(L) Kenya songstress Amani when Kenya embraced generous use of make up and tweezed thin eyebrows
2010
(L) Academy Award Winning actress Lupita Nyong’o took it back to the basics with this hair do that has made a global statement that all African women should love their hair
There is no denying the immense growth in the evolution of Kenyan beauty. The 1940s definitely need to come back. This project has been done for so many countries including Ireland, Syria, Egypt, Ethopia, Japan , US among other countries. Click below to watch the Kenyan episode.