Latest news with #stylists
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ontario-based entrepreneur is bridging the gap between Black women and skilled stylists
A Kitchener-based entrepreneur has developed an app that helps connect skilled stylists with their target clientele. CTV's Karis Mapp explains. The struggle to find a stylist with the proper know-how to address the needs of Black hair has led to a technological solution. A Kitchener-based entrepreneur was looking for a better way to search for a qualified hairdresser in 2018, after she was turned away from 15 different salons who said they weren't comfortable working on her type of hair. 'It makes us feel neglected, in a sense,' Aileen Agada, CEO of BeBlended, told CTV News. 'Thinking about walking into hair salons, or not really being part of the narrative, is really jarring at times.' In her desperation to find a proper stylist, she began walking up to other Black women on the street to find out where they got their hair done. 'That's when I realized, okay, that's a crazy industry that no one knows too much about,' Agada said. 'I thought, 'If it's just an Aileen problem, let's not focus on it.' But if this a problem a lot of Black women are facing, and the data speaks for itself, then I'll do something.' She then spent years creating the website BeBlended, which she calls the Airbnb of hair styling. 'Put your location in, your style and then scroll through the profiles,' Agada explained. 'If you're a stylist, you do something similar: you create an account, you join our platform and then you start updating your services.' 'Our team actually works with you to be better and improve because we know you're siloed, working by yourself. Our software helps you run your business, but then our community helps you thrive as an owner,' she said. BeBlended Aileen Agada posed with a banner for her website, BeBlended, on June 2, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) It starts in the classroom Industry experts said the disconnect begins in the classroom. Some people graduate from trade programs without ever working on different hair textures. 'A lot of people with silky or straight hair, you actually have to wash the moisture out of it and the oils. You have to wash it out. With Black hair, because it's so curly, it needs moisture, it needs conditioner, it needs water,' Precious Udofe, a registered braider on BeBlended, said. While curriculum changes are on the horizon, Udofe believes genuine curiosity is crucial. 'If you have someone you're close with who has kinky hair, just genuinely inquire about what it's like having their type of hair and ways to take care of it. What types of product to use? How does it differ from mine?' 'People shouldn't be afraid of working with different types of hair,' said Deanna Douglas, the secretary of the Ontario Professional Hairstyling Association. 'I think that learning those styles and how to cut it is really important knowledge to learn. And that's something that we should be responsible for and that hopefully we have a lot more people wanting to share their knowledge.' Agada, meanwhile, wants to see BeBlended continue to grow and create a welcoming community. 'That's the goal, to be global, to be impacting hundreds of thousands of Black women, hundreds of thousands of stylists, growing their economy as well.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
AP PHOTOS: The Black hair industry imports products from China. Here's what tariffs mean
Black women are starting to pay more for their hair care because of the Trump administration's tariffs on goods imported from China. Many Black women have hair types and workplace-favored styles that require careful attention. They can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. Most hair salon tools and packaging is imported from China. Stylists are considering raising their prices while the the U.S. and China negotiate new trade agreements. But many dread what price increases will do for clients who are lower income and already strained by months of inflation on virtually everything else. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AP PHOTOS: The Black hair industry imports products from China. Here's what tariffs mean
ATLANTA (AP) — Black women are starting to pay more for their hair care because of the Trump administration's tariffs on goods imported from China. Many Black women have hair types and workplace-favored styles that require careful attention. They can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. Most hair salon tools and packaging is imported from China. Stylists are considering raising their prices while the the U.S. and China negotiate new trade agreements. But many dread what price increases will do for clients who are lower income and already strained by months of inflation on virtually everything else. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
AP PHOTOS: The Black hair industry imports products from China. Here's what tariffs mean
ATLANTA (AP) — Black women are starting to pay more for their hair care because of the Trump administration's tariffs on goods imported from China. Many Black women have hair types and workplace-favored styles that require careful attention. They can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. Most hair salon tools and packaging is imported from China. Stylists are considering raising their prices while the the U.S. and China negotiate new trade agreements. But many dread what price increases will do for clients who are lower income and already strained by months of inflation on virtually everything else. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Fast Company
19-05-2025
- Fast Company
Gen Z is turning to ChatGPT for outfit advice
With around one billion searches on ChatGPT each week, Gen Z are increasingly turning to AI to solve a daily dilemma: what to wear. Last month, OpenAI announced updates to ChatGPT's Search, enhancing the shopping experience with personalized product recommendations and direct purchase links. Users have already begun using these features to plan their outfits. 'I'm going out to dinner tonight, what should I wear?' one user asked ChatGPT in a TikTok video. The AI suggested a fitted black cami, black trousers, strappy heels, and silver hoops. 'Why did ChatGPT kind of slay though?' the creator said. Another fashion and lifestyle creator prompted ChatGPT with 'streetwear,' 'blue denim,' and 'clean aesthetic.' The resulting outfit, shared on TikTok, was simple yet stylish. Others are uploading images from Pinterest boards or their wardrobes to generate entire shopping lists. While it may be some time before AI-generated outfits appear on runways, OpenAI is embracing its role as personal stylist and shopper. Replacing the group chat, ChatGPT now offers what it calls 'conversational shopping,' OpenAI said. 'Instead of juggling tabs or scrolling through endless results, you can just have a conversation,' Saguna Goel, product lead on the ChatGPT search team, told Vogue Business. 'What's really exciting is that this movement is being led by shoppers themselves. Gen Z are definitely out front, but people of all ages are getting involved — and stylists and influencers are now following their lead. It's a fascinating shift, and it's only just beginning,' she added. For brands, the potential payoff is huge—if they can make themselves discoverable where customers are searching. With no paid placements currently on ChatGPT, AI recommendations level the playing field for small businesses competing with brands that have far larger ad budgets. Still, not everyone is on board. As AI becomes more embedded in daily life, critics say it's erasing creative jobs in fashion and other industries, and diluting personal style in favor of fleeting micro-trends. If you ask ChatGPT to plan your next date-night outfit, just know: someone else might show up wearing the same thing.
