POWERFUL! How Huddah Monroe Inspired Thousands Of Young Women Into Cutting Their Hair And Rocking Their Natural Looks (Photos)
Besides being one of the most followed,aped and stalked social media figures,Huddah also has slowly become a beauty and fashion icon whose style and boldness has revolutionized the fashion industry and spawned many imitators along the way.
Her fierceness and fearlessness has not only earned her great acclaim but also carved an icon out of her ; a powerful social voice who very strongly controls consumer taste and even product preference.
Like the members of the powerful Kardashian Clan,who have dominated headlines and scooped millions upon million of admirers on social media,Huddah has carved her own niche – creating her own path,cutting her teeth and commanding the masses with nothing but her rawness,sheer beauty,amiable nature and open warmth.
Not easily affected by negativity and vile cyber attacks,Huddah has grown from a scrawny,fame-seeking college drop-out to a fashion and lifestyle powerhouse who has turned around her fortunes and cultivated an image that glorifies,among other things,success amid adversity,consumerism and even a vainglorious wanderlust appetite that should and must be satiated by all means possible.
Like the smart business honcho she’s quickly becoming,Huddah used the Instagram platform and turned it into her avenue of spiraling fame and unhinged success – daily updating her smitten followers on where she is,what’s she’s up to,what new land she’s just conquered and even delving boldly into the little,controversial matter of the need for sponsors.
Huddah has had many firsts. And many reputable victories,for sure.
But no where is Huddah’s power more felt than in the hair industry where,by taking the bold move of cutting her own hair and saying adios to weaves and wigs,she emboldened millions of young,image-conscious women into letting go of their hair and also embracing a less-straining look that didn’t require endless salon trips and stale weave nightmares.
“I was going to cut my hair anyway… I always wanted to. I just didn’t know when. And how. Like… I was working towards it… It just hadn’t come. Until Huddah did it and I thought,why not? This is a good time as any to let the locks go and rock the short hair I’ve always dreamed of… ” Soila Cole,a social media model,video vixen,student and budding entrepreneur says.
Instagram star Soila Cole who now rocks her short,natural hair. Photo/Instagram
A spot check around most of the hair salons and parlors in the Nairobi CBD reveal that young girls have also been hitting the salons daily seeking to have their hair trimmed – and probably dyed.
“It happens almost every day. We call it the Huddah cut. It’s common around the hair circles in town… ” says Caroline Njue who runs a beauty parlor and spa,Carol’s Secrets,located along Kenyatta Avenue.
“Girls are calling it the Huddah Cut. We trim young girls hair every single day. Most tell us wanataka hio hairstyle ya Huddah… It’s become a thing. Honestly,I didn’t even know Huddah or anything. I’m not big on social media and stuff. I had to install Instagram to see this Huddah and understand what this whole hype was about… ” Carol adds.
This same view is supported by Miss Malia,a young woman who sells hair products and runs a salon in South B as well.
“Huku pia Madame tu ni Huddah style. Huddah haircut… Stuff like that. I know Huddah… I’m not really a fan of her or whatever she does “, Miss Malia adds with a smile,” But I’m aware of her and her stuff… I see a lot of girls walking in to this salon,getting their phones out and telling me to style their hair kama hio tu ya Huddah… I think it’s a pretty gorgeous hairstyle. I love huge hair though. I’m more of a Chaka Khan girl than a Huddah girl… ” She adds with a laughter.
Huddah herself tackled the topic in a post she made on Instagram couple months ago celebrating the young women who inboxed (DM) her daily on Instagram lauding her for being the fearless trendsetter she is and for also inspiring them to trim their hair and say goodbye to cosmetic looks.
It’s great to see that most ladies have embraced their own natural African hair these days ,Something that most were scared to show .I looove reading my DMs and I love that I have inspired most to love who God created them to be -> AFRICAAAANN! ?…….. Finally a hair line ?.
Joy Mwangi,a student and fashion model also agrees,
“I’ve never been prouder of my short hair. I even dyed it Huddah style. It’s something I’m very proud of and confident in. I used to do wigs and weaves alot. But it’s so taxing,so expensive and also so hectic at times. Big hair is big work. I’m such a proud owner of short hair. And it doesn’t hurt that the most popular Kenyan on Instagram in Kenya is herself rocking short hair and doing it so flawlessly. ” Joy says.
Joy Mwangi before she trimmed her hair. Photo/FACEBOOK
Even Jem Wanjiru,a model,student and FGM crusader agrees.
“I’ll show you photos of myself with my earlier weaves and braids and stuff. And I’ll show you photos of myself in my beautiful,sexy short hair. I couldn’t be prouder of my look… “
And while Jem doesn’t 100% credit Huddah with her decision, she agrees that she has found even more strength and confidence in her look as a result of Huddahs own.
“I agree, Huddah cut her hair before I did. I can’t say that my decision to cut mine was entirely influenced by her… But I can agree I’m proud I’m in the same boat with this gorgeous soul whom everybody loves. It’s such an empowering feeling. And Huddah has definitely played a very huge part in this beautiful movement..I mean,fashion is contagious. We always tend to borrow from each other “, Jem says.
Jem Wanjiru before and after she cut her hair. Photo/Instagram
But on the issue of Lupita Nyong’o also having the same sort of hairstyle,and still not managing to inspire the same kind of feeling from girls,image guru Ken Nduati of Nduati Solutions says,
“Lupita and Huddah are two different people. Two very different people. Lupita is a Hollywood hotshot while Huddah is a self-made hustler who has, in the glare of the cameras,turned around her fortunes,escaped the life of penury,managed to reinvent herself and find purpose for her life all in such a short while. A lot of people relate to such rags to riches stories. Huddah is more influential in the fashion and style circles than Lupita. Way more influential actually, ” Nduati says.
” Besides her historic Oscar win, Lupita has failed to keep up the momentum and venture into more relevant areas of influence. Also,a lot of young Kenyan girls find her aloof,top rigid,too professional and also too unrelatable. She just doesn’t resonate with them. Unlike Huddah who everyone finds relatable,approachable and easily identifiable with. Huddah is more of an influence among young girls than Lupita ever will. And all respects to Lupita by the way. But Huddah’s short hair has more power and social media influence than Lupita’s. It’s just what it is “
Huddah Monroe circa 2013 before she saw the light -And trimmed her locks.
“It’s like Kendall Jenner and Yousufzai Malala …One is a Kardashian and a supermodel and the other is the youngest Nobel Prize winner. Still,millions of young girls draw their inspiration from Kendall. Not Malala…No shade to Malala though,”
Huddah seems to have won the battle -and bagged the crown. One haircut at a time.
And on this day,the International Girl’s Day,we choose to celebrate Huddah. And,really,marvel at her incredible success and sudden power.
