New Nation 2004 – Good Hair Day

Good Hair Day

UK Stylists Beat The Best In America

Three of Britain’s best natural hair stylists are celebrating after beating off stiff competition from hairdressers in the United States at an international hair show

Andela Plummer, of Sour 2 Sweet Hair Salon in Tottenham, north London, won the World’s Best Braider category at the World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 35 year old, who has braided r&b singer Usher and Labour MP Oona King among others, flew out to America with hair locking expert Morris Roots and top barber Pekka to compete among the worlds top stylists.

Roots who has groomed the locks of Choice FM presenter Angie Le Mar and soca artist Bunji Garlin, came second in the Creative Lock Styling category, and Pekka, who co-owns his barbershop Diligence, was also second in the ‘Keep It Real’ Barbering competition.

The trio are the first British hairdressers to win awards in the annual international hair show.

Plummer, whose idea it was to enter the competition, told New Nation: Before all of us left we all said we were going to support each other whatever happens.

None of us were looking to get second and first place.

Each stylist was judged on hair, make-up and outfit as well as the confidence of the model to carry off the look.

Roots, whose designs were inspired by Kenyan Masai warriors and Ethopian women, said the Americans were surprised that the three British stylists had won the awards.

He said: I think in Britain locks has not matured the way it has in America for the reason that America has a long history of black people and slavery as opposed to Britain.

With Angela, Pekka and I going there and coming away with important places it allows the [American] people to look at the talent here and appreciate what we’ve got.

I think they were surprised. The work, to them, should have come from America.

He added: We are trying to say to them that we’ve also got the skill and the knowledge and it should be looked upon with respect.

To win, Plummer and Roots had to complete a quarter of their model’s hair within two hours and 40 minutes and Pekka, 30, who has been cutting hair for 15 years, was given 45 minutes to complete his model’s hair design from scratch.

They all took home trophies and Plummer won $1000 (