Tippi Shorter Rank, a prominent hair stylist and owner of Hair Love KC, has built a reputation for her expertise and passion in transforming hair of various textures and types. Known for her work with high-profile individuals such as Beyoncé, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Rihanna, Shorter Rank is bringing her fervor for curls and textured hair to her home city, Kansas City.
This weekend, she is gearing up for a unique event, the inaugural CurlChella Festival, dedicated entirely to the celebration of curly hair. Billed as Kansas City’s first festival of its kind, the event will commence this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The CurlChella Festival aims to make its mark as an annual festivity that champions and appreciates all curly hair types. Shorter Rank is filled with anticipation about providing essential resources and encouragement for women seeking inspiration and guidance for their curly and textured hair.
Spanning major cities like New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, curly hair festivals have seen rapid growth in recent times. This rise can be attributed to an increasing number of women with curly hair who choose to wear their curls naturally instead of using chemical straighteners. Shorter Rank explains that this increase has fuelled the demand for resources which such events endeavour to provide.
Originally from California, Shorter Rank has been a staunch advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the beauty and hair industry. Finding a lack of education for curly and coiled hair types during her own journey, she felt compelled to fill this gap and shift her focus towards this area. To further this mission, she partnered with the Texture Education Collective to help ensure beauty school curricula included curly hair. This has now extended to states like New York, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Connecticut.
The CurlChella Festival will offer numerous activities such as workshops conducted by curly hair care specialists, various demonstrations of styling techniques, and a panel discussion including a Q&A with the audience. The event will also highlight local vendors from the beauty community, showcasing specialized products for curly and textured hair.
One participant, a Hair Love KC Salon customer, Shotonda Jones began her natural hair journey at the age of 12. It wasn’t until she was 37 that she decided to embrace her natural, curly locks. Now, 44 years old, Jones is excited about the festival and the chance to connect with other natural hair enthusiasts.
Joining Shorter Rank is an impressive line-up of stylists, hair experts, and fervent curl advocates from across the country. Among them is Dr. Meena Singh from the TLC reality television show, “Bad Hair” and Monica Stevens (MoKnowsHair) from Atlanta, who also has a dedicated hair care line specifically for Black women and their diverse hair textures.
Shorter Rank is looking forward to seeing this initial event become a staple in the local calendar. With strong support from sponsors and a smooth planning process, she is optimistic about the future of the festival. In addition, there have been talks about taking the festival to other parts of the Midwest. Hence, this could be the start of a new tradition of celebrating and empowering women through the recognition of their natural beauty. For those interested in attending the CurlChella Festival, more information and registration details will be available on the event’s official website.
