Hair Wars

Well I guess I should have known better, but it seems that the origin of many of the extreme styles seen on the catwalks today had precursors in the form of Hair Wars.  Competitions which began in the mid 1980's arose from traditional Africa American beauty parlours, where in a world of braids and weaves no style is considered too extreme.  Photographer David Yellen discovered Hair Wars in 1984 and toured the country, photographing stylists and their creations.  In the book Hair Wars it is evident that Yellen has captured the unconventional beauty and authenticity each stylist brings to the hair.

"I’m essentially attracted to anything that’s a unique subculture—cultural moments that are phasing out. That’s what makes humans unique and I think it’s important to preserve these things. If you take pictures, people will notice them—or at least talk about them."

David Yellen

The Hair Wars phenomena became so big it was even featured in America's Next Top Model, Cycle 7 as seen below.

Via Coilhouse