Hairstylist creates unique African hairstyles to express cultural identity

Feb 23, 2025 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

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‘For de culture’

Kaieteur News- Hairstyles, over the years have evolved to unique statement pieces that embody culture, art, and creativity.

For this 26-year-old hairstylist, Donnelle Griffith from Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, has become known for creating intricate African hairstyles that showcased her talent, creativity and deep connection to African culture.

Griffith, who has been practising hairstyling for six years, finds joy in her hat creating these unique hairstyles brings her joy and a way to keep her African culture alive.

Speaking with The Waterfalls, Griffith expressed her inspiration by social media influencers who styled their hair and wore it with pride and grace.

She said, “Apart from being blessed with the gift of hairstyling, I was inspired to do traditional African hairstyling from a content creator/influencer, @kristline__(ig), who has always confidently worn her hairstyles and also @mind_like_magic (ig) who creates unique African hairstyles.”

Walking through her creative process, Griffith detailed how she crafted one of her most intricate designs.

“All of the hairstyles I have done so far, requires weaving hair, weaving thread, weaving needle and sometimes binding wire. However, for my most intricate hairstyle, I used braiding hair, weaving thread and needle and decorative pearls for extra detailing. I braided the weaving hair into single plaits, and then delicately sew them together using the weaving thread and needle into my desired style,” she said.

For Griffith, these hairstyles are more than just a craft; they are a connection to her African roots.

She explained, “Personally, it means embracing and embodying my roots. Culturally, it means representing my heritage while educating others about that part (African hairstyling) of it.”

Specializing in both traditional and modern hairstyles, Griffith is well-versed in popular styles such as locs, braids, twists, and cornrows. Yet, it is the traditional African hairstyles that allow her to express her most creative side. “I love the art of African hairstyling and all aspects of it, but the traditional hairstyles bring out my creative side more,” she shared.

Griffith also embraces the challenge of incorporating elements of African culture into her designs while adding her personal touch. “Using braiding hair instead of fabric or another material to create the styles is already tapping into traditional elements of African culture. I love creativity, so I do styles that are not within the norm of hairstyling, anything that calls for detailing.

“This also allows me to challenge myself. I love to talk about how beautiful and unique Guyana is to persons living outside of Guyana, so for this month, hairstyles that I’ve created, I added a touch of Guyana to my creations, repping our flag and map,” she said.

Despite the joy she finds in her work, Griffith admitted that creating these hairstyles isn’t without its challenges. “For the most part, it’s therapeutic creating the styles. However, figuring out how to adjust some of the styles of my head was a little challenging, but a quick prayer and pep talk does the trick,” she said.

Reflecting on the evolution of appreciation for African hairstyles, Griffith noted that the trend has grown internationally. “Yes, definitely. I observed on social media (TikTok) that people of other cultural background enjoy watching African hairstyling. In interracial marriages, you find mothers, specifically of a different ethnicity, intentionally learning how to do African hairstyles for the benefit of their mixed child/children. This also happens in adopted families too,” she explained.

To stay creative and continue innovating, Griffith makes it a point to keep up with current trends and experiment with new techniques. “I try to keep up with what is trending. Trying different techniques and incorporating things that typically do not go with hair,” she said.

Griffith believes African hairstyles play a vital role in expressing one’s identity, both personally and culturally. “In African countries, it may signify age, marital status etc., but here in Guyana, I find that it builds confidence in oneself. Walking through the streets of Georgetown and having people stare at me, built my confidence and helped me to embrace my African culture a lot more. I believe that wearing one of my works will boost your self confidence in your appearance regardless of what others might say or think,” she shared.

One of her most memorable projects involved celebrating Black History Month 2025 through traditional African hairstyles. “Because of my love for African hairstyling, I have decided to do traditional hairstyles with a twist every day for the month of February, celebrating black history through my hairstyles and what I do professionally. Doing these hairstyles every day, excited to see the outcome of each style is rewarding for me, each style and the details put into them. Seeing how creative I can get made each moment special for me.”

Looking towards the future, Griffith envisions her talent taking her to greater heights. “My devotion to African hairstyling and hairstyling in general will open doors for me to host hair shows locally, regionally, and internationally.”

Excited about the possibilities ahead, Griffith is driven to keep creating and sharing her artistry. “I’m excited to see what else I can create. I’m confident that I can execute styles that might seem difficult. But mostly, I’m driven to create and share these hairstyles with others who may be interested.”

(Hairstylist creates unique African hairstyles to express cultural identity)

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