L’Oréal Hosts ‘Texture of Change’ Event

On May 29, The Texture of Change, the initiative powered by L’Oréal Professional Products Division and dedicated to reshaping the future of professional haircare, hosted its landmark event: The Power of Texture: Culture, Community & the Future.

The Texture of Change brought together tastemakers, industry advocates and cultural leaders for a day of conversation, inspiration and action around building a more inclusive and equitable beauty industry. The event took place at L’Oréal’s ProLAB Academy of Beauty in El Segundo, CA, a state-of-the-art academy offering experiential professional education. As a dedicated space for education, ProLAB serves as a hub where stylists, educators, and beauty professionals come together for immersive, hands-on training in the latest techniques, tools and trends.

“This is more than a conversation—it’s a movement,” said Erica Roberson, VP, DE&I Business Development for L’Oréal Professional Products Division (PPD) and founder of The Texture of Change. “Our goal is to reimagine the future of professional haircare by uplifting textured hair and centering education. We’re here to inspire change and ensure that equity becomes the standard, not the exception.”

Textured Hair’s Mighty Influence

The event featured two panels that explored the influence of textured hair across identity, entrepreneurship and creative culture. Jackie Aina, Jawara Wauchope, Akili King and Julissa Bermudez joined moderator Blake Newby in the first panel, titled “Rooted in Community: How Hair Shapes Identity, Culture & Connection,” to discuss the cultural significance of textured hair and its role in creating a sense of belonging amongst individuals.

Wauchope, who most recently presented “Black Hair Reimagined: The New Era of Beauty”— an event proudly sponsored by The Texture of Change – spoke about the importance of embracing textured hair.

“I think it starts with self-love, self-acceptance, and understanding you’re beautiful the way you are or you’re beautiful the way you want to be,” said Wauchope. “Stepping away from associating words like luxury with straight hair. Tightly curled hair can be as well.”

Ursula Stephen, Tippi Shorter, Crystal Wright and Piersten Gaines joined moderator Andrea Lewis, for the second panel, titled “Beauty and Beyond: The Art and Business of Textured Hair,” to discuss how the rise of textured hair education, inclusive salon models and growing consumer demand, will create the next frontier for professional beauty where innovation meets impact.

Panelists shared success stories about how offering services for textured hair has greatly improved their businesses, but made it clear that this mission is about much more than profit. “The additional benefit [to textured hair education] is that you have more services to offer,” said Shorter. “It results in more business because now you’re introducing more of that 65% of the population to your client base.”

Myra Reddy, director of government affairs for the Professional Beauty Association, shared insights on the national impact of the Texture Education Collective and the significant legislative strides being made across the country.

Jam Sessions

The conversations continued between panels with two “Jam Sessions” presented in partnership with Ulta Beauty and SalonCentric. These interactive moments brought top hairstyling pros center stage as they each crafted a signature look in real-time. The first Jam Session, powered by Ulta Beauty, featured Vernon François, Michelle O’Connor, and Lindsey Olson. The second, powered by SalonCentric, brought the artistry of Jawara Wauchope, John Mosley and Leysa Carrillo to the spotlight.

“The future of beauty is inclusive—and that belongs to the stylists who choose to learn, grow and embrace every texture,” Kareema Wilson, VP, Salon Centric Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.