Wash Day: A Letter to My Younger Self - Charlotte Mensah in Conversation with Afua Hirsch

Join award-winning hairstylist Charlotte Mensah as she reflects on her career in the world of natural hair care with writer, broadcaster and best-selling author, known for her work on culture, social justice, identity and anti-racism, Afua Hirsch.

This intimate discussion will look back over Charlotte’s personal hair journey and nearly thirty years of experience – from her studies under the guidance of ‘The Godfather of British Afro Hairdressing’, the late Winston Issacs in the 80’s, to the forefront of the natural haircare movement in the early 00’s. Charting Charlotte’s journey to her position today as the ‘go to’ authority on Natural Afro, Mixed and Curly textures and the lessons she has learned along the way.

This event is part of Wash Day, a celebration of Afro hair at the V&A, with free events for all ages, including advice from leading experts on hair care, styling methods and design. Find out more about what's going on across the day here.

Charlotte Mensah is an award-winning hairstylist, owner and artistic director of the Hair Lounge salon on Portobello Road, and author of Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair. Charlotte’s clientele includes Zadie Smith, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Natalie Dormer, Michaela Coel, Erykah Badu, Lorraine Pascale and Funmi Fetto to name a few.

Afua Hirsch is the founder of Born in Me Productions and has been a journalist for over twenty years. She has been a senior Guardian correspondent, Sky News editor, and freelance contributor to publications including the New York Times, Time Magazine and Vogue. Afua’s bestselling book Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging is the winner of the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize. Her other books include Equal To Everything, about the UK Supreme Court, and Empire: Look Again.