Rapunzel effect: carefully intertwined locks are on the rise

In the popular imagination, to speak of braids is to remember Rapunzel, the princess created in 1812 by the Grimm brothers who, imprisoned in a tower, threw away her long braids so that the prince could reach his apartments. In 2010, the fairy tale was adapted by Disney into the film rolled up🇧🇷 The Rapunzel of ten years ago, however, hasn’t made quite as much noise as the version of another princess who arrives: Ariel, who in the first live action of The little Mermaid, slated for release in May next year, swaps the original animation’s loose red hair for actress Halle Bailey’s dreadlocks. It brings out one of the new meanings of hairstyle, symbol of black resistance. The two characters, Rapunzel from the Brothers Grimm and Mermaid from Bailey, inspired a style trend that left the runways on its way to the ubiquitous TikTok, with more than 9 billion views for videos with the hashtag #braids. ). It is a phenomenon, possible mark of the summer of 2023.

Celebrities are already incorporating them: from multiple braids like those of Madonna to the braids of actress Vanessa Hudgens through the unique boxer braid like that of the Brazilian top Adriana Lima, everything is allowed. “It’s the pleasure of the braid. It is suitable for black women, blondes, redheads, brunettes and can be done on straight, curly, long or short hair,” explains hairstylist Mario Nova, partner at Hello Beauty Concept, located in Miami, United States. international, they appeared in the catwalks of Prada, Missoni, Giorgio Armani, Ferragamo, Bottega Veneta, emphasizing the graphic shapes of Etro.In New York, they appeared in the classic ponytails – with beautiful bets from Collina Strada and Proenza Schouler — creating yet another trend on social media, under the hashtag #braidedponytail, with more than 180 million views.

Braids stand the test of time. The earliest records date from around 28,000 BC, in statues Venus of Brassempouy and Venus of Willendorf🇧🇷 But the technique of hair braiding was not identified until much later, 3500 BC, in Namibia, Africa, where braided locks were used as a symbol of social status and identification of tribes , ethnicities, marital status, religion and social status. It was also a way of socializing: as it takes time to do so, it was a moment of living together and exchanging knowledge. On the African continent, moreover, the braids mix the past with the present until today as a linguistic tool of racial resistance, ensuring identity and self-esteem.

In ancient Egypt they were used by nobles and the rich. In ancient Greece they were made with wire and line and armed with buns. They were brought to Brazil by slaves and peaked in the 1970s, during the hippie movement. Now they are back, as a manifestation of a diverse, universal and democratic style. It is convenient to hold them, when thrown from the tower, because they represent a way of life, a manifest in the body.

Published in VEJA on October 12, 2022, edition number. 2810

Continue after ad