Did You Know? Twisted Styles
Did you know that Anu began braiding hair professionally in 1978 while attending Howard University? In the summer of 1977, Anu landed as job as a Braider at the popular Shelton's Hair Gallery in Washington, DC. Shelton's Hair Gallery is an upscale salon that continues to set the standard in excellent hair care in the Washington, DC area.A few years later in 1984 well established by this time, and known as the go-to person for exceptional braiding styles, Anu continued to grow her business. One day while shopping in the Bead District in mid-town Manhattan Anu ran into a woman with a stunning hair hairstyle the likes of which she had never seen before. It was a long twisted style that almost looked like rope. When Anu inquired about the twists, the excited and beautiful Sister shared that she had just returned from Senegal, West Africa, where the style was created. It wasn't too long after that that Anu began making arrangements to traveled Senegal.Senegalese women are very fashionable, elegant, and beautiful. Though Anu was assured she would be taught how to create the twists, she returned home without being taught. She bring back with her a fiber called laine (a wool-like substance) that looks very much like black cotton-candy used to create the twists.Donna Ashe was surprised to hear that Anu never learned the technique in Senegal. Donna shared that a Senegalese woman lived in her building, and she was sure she knew how to do the style and would be willing to teach Anu. That happened a few days later. A beautiful Senegalese woman name Adama taught Anu how to create twists using the laine fiber. Adama was delighted when after showing Anu just once how to do the technique, Anu had it down-pat. It wasn't long before Anu had clients lined up to receive this style and coined the term Senegalese Twists; and the rest, as they say, is history! Twisted styles have become classic using any number of fibers, natural, synthetic, straight, curly, etc. and new versions of twisted styles seem to appear every season, right up to today.
Come help us celebrate the history, beauty, and culture of Khamit Kinks and the contributions of Anu Prestonia to the Natural Hair Movement.