Au Naturale by Dark and Lovely Kicks Off TextureMedia's Texture On The Runway

NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Au Naturale by Dark and Lovely hit the stage with an explosive performance and show-stopping styles, getting the crowd of over 500 texture-enthused attendees revved up during Texture On The Runway. The innovative runway event celebrated textured hair on the evening of Saturday, February 13, at City Winery in New York.  Hosted by TextureMedia™, the largest hair care platform that empowers and inspires millions of textured-hair women to embrace their naturally beautiful selves, the exclusive, invite-only, high-energy event put hair center stage during New York's Fall 2016 Fashion Week and Au Naturale opened the show with a vengeance!

Au Naturale by Dark and Lovely knows how to showcase textured hair and fashion, and pulled out all the stops with a group of dancers whose African-inspired dance moves, tribal makeup, unbeatable hairstyles and bold fashion brought the crowd to its feet during the 15-minute presentation.  The theme, I Am Dark and Lovely, was about embracing all aspects of the African American woman from beauty, fashion and hair to personal goals and aspirations.  The hair team, led by celebrity stylist and hairdresser to First Lady Michelle Obama, Johnny Wright, proved how textured hair is the ultimate accessory on the runway. "I am inspired by the multi-dimensional African American woman who has the ability to change her style while being confident, edgy and empowered," says Wright. "My goal was to show women how to embrace their natural textured hair and express their inner and outer beauty in the easiest way possible."  

To make the show "real," hairstyles were showcased on key beauty and fashion bloggers who served as models, including: Sunita of SunitaV_, AnnMarie of @coolcalmcurly, Tessa of @afroista, Priscilla of @shinestruck and Ijeoma of @klassykinks. The team styled the gorgeous models using Au Naturale Anti-Shrinkage, a maintenance and styling line infused with Mango Oil and Bamboo Milk to provide all-day hydration, elongation, definition and nourishment.  The ultimate goal of Au Naturale by Dark and Lovely is to offer naturalistas an array of products that take the guesswork out of caring and styling natural hair.  "I felt empowered," said Sunita of @Sunitav_. "It was amazing to be able to celebrate texture with Dark and Lovely, celebrate talented designers and represent different cultures during New York Fashion Week."

"We were proud to exemplify the versatility of textured hair and its solidified place in fashion," says Ifeoma Fejokwu, Senior Brand Manager, Dark and Lovely. "Texture on the Runway brought the conversation of textured hair to life and Au Naturale by Dark and Lovely was thrilled to be a part of this show because we share the same mission: to have African American Naturalistas showcase their most beautiful selves through their hairstyle, in the simplest way possible, without guesswork."

Adding to the show's excitement and success was fashion designer and former Project Runway contestant Samantha Black, who was totally stoked by the show's theme. Black created a bold color palette for the collection, which helped bring to life the essence of the African American woman. "As the natural hair movement continues to thrive, naturalistas are at the forefront of trends and fashion," said Black. "I created this collection in partnership with Au Naturale by Dark and Lovely to help bring to life the essence of the African American woman."

Michelle Breyer, co-founder of NaturallyCurly.com and Patrice Yursik of Afrobella.com, hosted Texture on the Runway. For 18 years, since the inception of NaturallyCurly.com, TextureMedia has been the pioneer in empowering, educating and inspiring its community of consumers, influencers, and beauty enthusiasts alike. As the very first digital platform catering to all things hair, TextureMedia continues to lead this important conversation through original content and branded entertainment with a focus on connecting the consumer voice with brands and retailers in this ever-expanding beauty category. At TextureMedia, texture truly transcends ethnicity.

About The L'Oréal USA Multicultural Beauty Division:
The newly formed Multicultural Beauty Division includes brands such as: Dark and Lovely, Let's Jam!, Optimum Amla Legend, SoftSheen-Carson Professional, Magic Shave and Carol's Daughter. As part of the Consumer Products Division of L'Oréal USA, these brands are leading L'Oréal USA in multicultural innovation and are dedicated to serving the growing multicultural market.

About TextureMedia
TextureMedia is the largest hair care platform and trusted thought leader that empowers and inspires millions of texture-hair women to embrace their naturally beautiful selves. By engaging beauty enthusiasts through original content, branded entertainment, social media, product reviews and commerce, they influence up to $5 Billion in annual hair care product sales.

For clients and brand partners, they are a creative powerhouse delivering impactful marketing services and data driven insights that translate to increased brand exposure and greater market share. Their monthly social, consumer reach is 26 million strong across four portfolio digital brands – CurlyNikki, CurlMart, CurlStylist and NaturallyCurly, the flagship brand and first-to-market platform that has amplified the needs and voice of its textured-hair community since 1998. A fifth and most recent brand introduced in 2010, TextureTrends is a unique data product of annual consumer insights diving deep on hair care and style trends, behaviors, brand awareness and purchasing drivers. Together, these brands comprise TextureMedia, the undisputed leader in creating quality content and engaging an authentic, global community of influencers in the world of hair care.

Media Contact:
Lauren Clements/Sara Charles
Bratskeir & Co.
212.679.2233
[email protected]  
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Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160226/338020

SOURCE L'Oreal USA Multicultural Beauty Division