The Afropunk Festival is known for a lot of things: being one of the very first establishments to spotlight the presence of Black fans and creatives within the largely white Punk scene, showing crazy amounts of love to any and everyone who wanted to join in on the festivities, and most notably– the alternative and trendsetting fashions that most patrons bring to the festival every year.
With the great fashion, comes great hair–and every time the event rolls around, you’ll be sure to see all different takes on our traditional styles like box braids, buzz cuts, bantu knots, and of course–afros. I personally feel that at Afropunk, hair isn’t just hair, it’s a statement piece.
Afropunk serves as a really great style inspiration for those of you who are looking to spice up your look and go for something that’s more daring and true to your personality.
If you need some inspiration, or simply don’t know where to start, here are 5 Afropunk looks you should definitely give a try!
Cotton Candy Fro
Tips:
Not interested in dying your hair? Try spray on hair dye! Not only does it stay on your hair all day and doesn’t rub off on skin and clothes, but it’s easy to wash out and some products barely have a smell.
For the best results, try Jerome Russell Bwild Color Spray!
If you want more volume or height, try placing afro-textured clip ins* around the crown and perimeter of your head.
If you want something you can rock for a little while, try crochet braids. If you use your natural hair, blow it out or do a wash and go so you can pick at the roots for extra volume.
A huge fro is amazing, but it’s not all there is to the look, ladies! This cotton candy-esque afro can be recreated on a cute pixie cut, TWA, or tapered fro. However you can reimagine and recreate it, go for it!
Blue Box Braids
Tip:
The plus side is that you don’t have to dye your hair at all. Invest in some gorgeous blue braid hair and install 10-20 braids for this look. My suggestion? Use synthetic hair.
Synthetic braiding hair usually has more vibrant colors and won’t break your bank, so it’s not a major loss if you decide to do away with the hairstyle the next day.
If you want the braids to fall evenly around your head, but have the “choppy” look like the woman above, place your braids into a high ponytail and then begin cutting.
If you don’t like how the ends look, tuck them into little balls and tie it closed with a rubber band. Or better yet, secure small beads or shells at the end of each braid.