Instagram Celebrates Afro-Textured Hair By Hosting Untied: A Hair Show by Kayra Theodore

On July 31, Instagram celebrated hair artist and influencer Kayra Theodore’s debut of her hair show, Untied, at 99 Scott Studios in Brooklyn.

The hair artist is a recipient of the Instagram Drafts Fund—a fund from Instagram that supports a curated group of emerging and visionary creators to take their next creative chance, bringing ideas out of drafts and into the world.  The program gives creators the resources, support, and visibility to bring their most ambitious ideas to life.

Kayra and Instagram partnered to craft Untied, a show which was uniquely inspired by Kayra’s childhood. Growing up in a Haitian household, Kayra transferred schools in sixth grade and became the only Black girl in her class. Her hair bows that had been symbols of beauty and respect became a source of ridicule. This collection is born as an act of reconciliation, reckoning with the tension between assimilation and authenticity. 

The show began with a performance in which a mother braided her daughter’s hair, harkening back to Kayra’s own childhood. This was followed by a runway show of 30 models each in elaborate, bespoke hair sculptures crafted by Kayra.

“With my expression of hair, it means freedom,” Kayra told Fashionista in an interview. “I thought it was really important to reclaim what those students made me feel ashamed of and to also show my own interpretation of what bows symbolize to me. I’m untying all the trauma and shame and expectations.”

Kayra Theodore’s hair art has gone viral across the internet many times, with her work commonly seen as hair inspo on Pinterest boards and Instagram feeds. She’s worked with celebrities such as model and influencer Nara Smith and rapper Samara Cyn.