Putting beads on the end of braids and twists is an old school practice for black women. How many of us remember walking around as little girls, our heads clinking from the sound of colorful plastic beads hitting against each other. The beauty of the bead style is that it is constantly being reinvented. For instance, Solange looked breathtaking on the January/February 2018 cover of SURFACE magazine wearing blond cornrows and vibrant red beads from her ears down past her shoulders.
Photograph of Solange Knowles by Andrew Zuckerman.
On Instagram women are putting their own riffs on the traditional bead style, and the results, as always, are absolutely gorgeous.
Kelela Mizanekristos in translucent beads. IG: @kelelam.
Singer Dawn Richard. Image from IG: @dawnrichard.
Image from IG: @lunathi007
Image from IG: @mandisa_l_constable
Image from IG: @urban_mimz
Image from IG: @urban_mimz
Image from IG: @dolenebeauty.
Image from IG: @holluwaniphemmie.
Image from IG: @mimi.irvin.
Image from IG: @nomashenge_
Image from IG: @nunugold_beauty.
Image from IG: @refiloedhladhla.
Image from IG: @andrewalkerhair.
Image from IG: @afrikankrowns
Image from IG: @brooklynbraiders
Image from IG: @livhuljm
Ladies, which style is your favorite?
The woman in the second photo (first after Solange) is critically acclaimed musician Kelela Mizanekristos and there’s a typo in her instagram handle up there; it should be @kelelam
Thank you for letting us know! We’ve made the correction.
Where can I find those beads that Kelela is wearing? They are absolutely beautiful
My goodnes I’m in love with all of them !
All of them are beautiful. Very difficult to pick one style
@brooklynbraiders
I love Solange style and in second place Kelela. Absolutely stunning, I am definitely getting my hair braided like that!!❤️❤️
Very nice styles!! It’s a tie between mimi
.irvin, andrewalkerhair, afrikankrowns, and nunugold_beauty. I want beads in my hair now!!