The Zazou team has taken this time to listen and learn. During this time it has come to our awareness about a gap in our industry in terms of education specific to curly textured hair. This starts right from the Cosmetology Institutions. This includes cutting and styling Afro textured hair, fading, braiding and proper home care treatment and maintenance. This needs to change. This education is essential for any beauty professional as they begin their career.
We’d like to thank the hairstylists in our community for bringing this to our awareness as we all work towards a better future. In our research we came across an article published in November 2019 by the Toronto Star titled “Why Black people (including me) are cutting our own hair in Vancouver — and what that says about our city.” We encourage everyone to take a read for insight to an individual’s experience with their hair in Vancouver. Click here to read article
This has encouraged us to look inwards at our own Academy Program. We’re saddened to say this gap is also existing in our own program. At Zazou we value education so much. It is one of our core values and we feel it truly is the foundation for our success. To find a gap in our own education was eye opening to say the least. Many of our stylists have had the opportunity to attend classes specific to this technique externally, and many have gained experience simply through trial and error, but what we’d love is for this to be is a regular part of our curriculum and our ongoing education so our team can confidently provide these services.
We have already begun our research and are speaking with our connections and partners in our community. We’ve found an expert in our industry that is offering Texture Workshops. Thank you Alicia Chowen for creating a program to provide this education to our community. We encourage everyone to check it out! Click here. We’re hoping once restrictions ease and in house education is possible that we are able to set up these classes in the fall.
We are speaking with La Biosthetique Canada to work with their top educators to create a course curriculum for our up and coming new talent and also for our current team members. The goal is that this education will be available as regularly as our other education classes. Our own Education Team is doing their research to educate themselves and to develop a Texture Class for our own Advanced Academy Program. The goal is to ensure our New Talent Hairstylists have the experience and skill set from the beginning of their careers and that services are available from our Junior Stylists all the way through to our Master Stylists.
Zazou will always promote inclusiveness and we’re going to continue to try and progress our industry forward. Vancouver is filled with such diversity that we can all learn so much from one another.
We hope by sharing our own story that we can help spread the awareness to the industry at large. We’d like to share this petition to Bring Curl Specific Education Into Cosmetology Programs and Textbooks. The goal is that these services are no longer considered a specialty or an elective but a requirement in all Cosmetology Programs. We want everyone of our guests feel confident in choosing Zazou, but also any hair salon, for their hair needs.
If you’d like to show your support sign the petition! Let’s be a part of a change to make our future better, brighter, full of love and acceptance.
Click here to view petition
Looking forward to continuing to support this community and beyond in the days to come.
Love & light & be kind.
#blacklivesmatter