06-05-2025
Solange Cheers on Son Julez Smith at 'Black Hair Reimagined' Show
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Solange Knowles was sitting in the crowd to support her son Julez Smith on Friday night. The model and nephew of Beyoncé has continued his rise in the fashion world after making his runway debut last February for New York-based brand Luar.
Just days before the 2025 Met Gala, Smith took on the catwalk in New York City for a special presentation, "Black Hair Reimagined: The New Era of Beauty." The Bronner Bros. hair show inspired the event put on by hairstylist Jawara Wauchope and Jrod Lacks, who created Echelon Noir Productions. Founder of the haircare brand Pattern, Tracee Ellis Ross, led attendees through an evening of elegance, fantasy, and joy, celebrating Black hair.
Smith effortlessly walked the mirrored runway, which also featured dancers and special lighting to enhance the drama of the show. The model was dressed in a long, forest green coat that was covered in rings of hair. He wore a necklace and diamond earrings and walked the runway in combat boots.
The fashion show featured work from hairstylists Cyndia Harvey, Malcolm Marquez, Vernon François, and Yusef Williams, who created stunning hair art for models including Smith, Paloma Elsesser, Anok Yai, and Imaan Hammam. In partnership with The Texture of Change, their mission is to give stylists access "to programs and textured hair education that will provide them with the knowledge and skills needed to service all hair types – ensuring that all consumers have access to trained professionals who can meet their individual needs."
Of course, it wouldn't be a fashion show featuring Julez Smith without support from his mom, Solange. The musician was one of the featured guests at the show, arriving in a stunning see-through black gown that featured tassels draping down to her ankles. She paired the dress with black strappy heels and statement earrings, with her long, dark hair hanging down her back.
One of the celebrity hairstylists who helped curate the show, Vernon Francois, shared behind-the-scenes footage of the show on his Instagram. He also shared his favorite Met Gala hair looks that he's created over the years, including for Willow Smith and Lupita Nyong'o. 'An ode to the audacity of possibility,' Francois wrote on Instagram. 'Where legacy meets imagination, and we take our rightful place at the forefront—creating, leading, redefining. This is just the beginning.'
Julez Smith's closeness with his mom, Solange, is well documented — including in his Teen Vogue cover story. Aside from speaking highly of his mom, aunt Beyoncé, and cousin Blue Ivy, Smith also said his best friend is his grandma, Tina Knowles.
'She taught me how to be a young man. She taught me the rules of the house,' Smith said. 'She taught me how to be a man of the house. She taught me how to respect others and everything, and she keeps me up on my fly, too. She be sending me clothes and all types of stuff. My grandma, she's my dog, man.'
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
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