Ahead of the eighth annual celebration of World Afro Day on Sept. 15, over 100 supporters have signed an open letter to the UK government campaigning to make the UK the first Western nation with a law that protects people against hair discrimination.

In the US, 27 states have adopted similar legislation, which was first enacted as the Crown Act in California in 2019. These laws prohibit hair-based discrimination and require cosmetology schools to teach a curriculum on textured hair, which includes coiled, curly and wavy hair types.

The World Afro Day letter, spearheaded by the nonprofit organisation of the same name, calls upon the 2010 Equality Act to reform and include naturally curly or coiled hair as a protected characteristic. This act currently protects individuals from workplace discrimination based on race, sex, or disability.

Supporters of the letter include Beverly Knight, Patrick Hutchinson, Labour MP Paulette Hamilton and Spice Girls member Mel B, who expressed her experiences with hair discrimination and her stance on World Afro Day in an Instagram post. “I’m proud to support World Afro Day in its call for the Equality Act to protect against Afro hair discrimination in the UK,” she wrote.

Discriminatory and violent acts based on hair discrimination against the Black community can be traced back to the slave trade. Countless Black Britons still face hair discrimination in the workplace and schools, according to World Afro Day. Its letter cites that 98 percent of Black Britons feel that in order to fit into the workplace, they feel the need to adapt their speech, appearance and hairstyles. Children are unfairly penalised and sent home for wearing natural styles in their classrooms.

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The hair services industry has a long history of discrediting Black hairstyles such as braids, locs and twists as unworthy of study. Now, a new set of US state laws will finally require cosmetology and barber schools to teach students how to style curly hair types.

After dominating the sun-kissed beaches of Los Angeles, Tower 28 has officially made its way Down Under.

As of Tuesday, the clean beauty brand known for gentle ingredients will be available to shop in 35 Mecca locations across Australia and New Zealand, as well as online.

A wholesale partnership with Mecca, Australia’s largest prestige beauty retailer, will allow LA-based Tower 28 to penetrate the new market and reach 4 million-plus customers. The move comes at a time when the brand looks to scale. Last year, it more than doubled its internal team from 12 employees to 32.

“Mecca’s reputation precedes itself in terms of being a great partner, a great brand advocate and they really know how to build up brands on the local market,” said Tower 28 founder Amy Liu. “There’s a lot of trust from the beauty community in general when it comes to Mecca.”

Glossier also launched in-store and online with Mecca earlier this summer.

Tower 28, founded in 2019, is known for skincare and makeup products for sensitive skin, such as its best-selling silicone-free cream blush, daily gel cleanser and tinted SPF. It inked a partnership with Sephora when it launched and has become one of the most sought after brands of the year at Mecca for its hybrid products that blur the line between beauty and skincare, according to Mecca chief marketing officer Kate Blythe.

“Customers are looking for makeup-skincare hybrids that address their skin concerns while also doubling as a staple in their makeup kit,” Blythe said in a statement.

As part of Tower 28′s rollout in Australia, Liu and her team are hosting a number of media appearances, pop-ups and other activations in Sydney and Melbourne. Liu will be personally hosting some training sessions for Mecca staff.

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The Melbourne-based multi-brand retailer has kept both local and international competitors at bay with a regional store footprint four times larger than Sephora’s.

Rōz, the prestige hair care line founded by celebrity stylist Mara Roszak, announced on Monday a growth investment from Silas Capital and G9 Ventures. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The line, which is carried in stores such as Credo and Neiman Marcus, leans on Roszak’s experience and pedigree as a Hollywood hair stylist. The line launched in 2021, with a range of eight products.

“I’m really excited to have Silas Capital as an extension of our team because they are true supporters of the brand and have seen every stage of a beauty business. It’s great to be able to rely on them for support,” said Roszak.

Silas Capital has also invested in buzzy beauty brands like sunscreen line Vacation, skincare brand Herbivore and prestige cosmetics line Makeup by Mario, while G9 Ventures has backed the likes of luxury beauty brand Westman Atelier, as well as wellness brands Goop and Athletic Greens.

In addition to the institutional investors, actress Lily Collins joined as an angel investor. Actresses Mila Kunis, Daisy Ridley, Zoe Saldana, and Brooklyn Decker previously invested.

In order to further scale the business, funding will be used to accelerate retail expansion, introduce new products and increase headcount.

In a statement, Brian Thorne, a partner at Silas Capital, celebrated the brand’s red carpet credentials, saying that it marries together performance with clean claims that consumers are increasingly looking for, filling a “true whitespace”.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Mara, alongside her unmatched roster of A-list clients and community of professional stylists, to support Rōz’s impressive momentum across channels,” he said.

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