MONTREAL -- Tatyana Frazer’s Pierrefonds basement is now a workshop. Embroidery and sewing machines hum as each stitch is added to a growing business.
Frazer and four friends started a clothing business called Kind to Curls, making satin lined hoodies that protect their natural hair.
"A regular hoodie pulls at your hair,” said Frazer. “It takes away the moisture, it can ruin your hairstyle.”
She added that different hairstyles, like defined curls or braids, can take hours to get right.
Frazer had been looking for satin lined hoodies made locally, but could only find suppliers in the United States and United Kingdom.
“I just recently started on my hair care journey and I couldn’t find any in Canada,” she said.
Kind to Curls isn’t only about business; it also seeks to stoke pride in Black hairstyles.
“Me and my hair have a rough relationship,” said co-founder Tarah Grant. “It starts as a kid. You grow up not liking your hair because of a lack of knowledge that makes our hair our enemy.”
Keisha Moore said when she was in high school, she would often straighten her hair and damage it.
“When you’re younger, you want to conform to society and have straighter hair,” she said.
“The rhetoric around our hair was really negative in the past, so we are more inclined to straighten our hair,” added Kelly Lacroix.
Between full time jobs and school, the group can produce about 20 sweaters every week.
About one year into business, they’ve filled orders from across Canada.
“We get messages on a daily basis, saying ‘Oh my gosh, I have curly hair, my son, my daughter has curly hair. You guys coming out with this product will really help protect our curls,’” said Catherine Okeke.
Kind to Curls hoodies retail for $39.99 and come in 5 colours.
