When it comes to celebrities to look toward for natural hair inspo, Tracee Ellis Ross may reign supreme. Tracee Ellis Ross’ Essence Cover is sure to solidify her — and her hair — as a style icon to watch. Here’s to hoping you can achieve the same volume — possibly with her new hair brand.
Ross has been rocking her natural curls since before she was a cast member on her hit show Girlfriends in the 2000s. And in 2019, she’s letting everyone know how tall her crown rises in her latest Essence cover, specifically for the publication’s hair issue.
The actor takes a page out of her diva mother Diana Ross' book, rocking a large (thoroughly blown-out) afro while wearing a super extra feathery jacket with a coordinating flapper-like dress underneath.
“Thank you to the @essence team for allowing me to be on your cover for the 4th time!” Ross wrote on Instagram. “And especially this time as I celebrate this exciting new chapter in my life: being a ceo/founder and an executive producer. essence has supported me in my career since the beginning. thank you for being a space of celebration for all aspects of our diverse and beautiful community and legacy.”
The incredible looks, including an afro and literal crown of hair, Ross sports in the hair issue are all thanks to the hands of celebrity hair artist Nai'vasha, who’s known for creating braided and curled masterpieces for celebrities like Yara Shahidi and Alicia Keys.
Earlier in September, Ross announced the news of her own natural hair care brand called Pattern. The brand officially launched with a series of products on Sep. 8 that are targeted to those with hair textures that range from 3B to 4C.
“@patternbeauty is about giving us another place to see ourselves, to see our beauty,” Ross wrote in an Instagram post. “I really wanted this company to be an expression of our community, which means it's not just about my voice.”
The collection of hair products includes Jojoba oil serums, shampoo, and four different conditioners based on the customer’s curl pattern. Plus, the prices are budget-friendly, $9 for a single product and $146 to get everything in the collection.
In her Essence interview, Ross spoke about the trials and tribulations of trying to maintain her own “pattern” while growing up.
“If it was anything over 67 percent humidity, I would not wash my hair,” Ross said. “I stopped relaxing my hair the summer before tenth grade. I ran track, and I found that putting heat on my hair was too difficult. But I couldn’t figure out how to wear it. I tried every product under the sun.”
Now, with a hair brand of her own, Ross has the product line to encourage people of color to end hair hate and embrace hair textures. Tracee Ellis Ross may be one of the biggest hair inspirations for naturally curly hair, but with Pattern, she’s setting out to let those with curly and coily hair be their own vision of hair inspo.
