Every morning when I was in primary school, I would beg my mum to do two plaits which would hang on each side of my parting. Then, when I was about 11, a family friend finally taught me how to do a french plait and pretty much changed my life. At 12, I took a family holiday to Cuba where I got braids all over, including cornrows at the front (cue horrendous scalp sunburn). So you could say, I'm kind of into plaits.
Imagine my sheer excitement then, when I found out that The Braid Bar Pop-Up had been born and proved - what I had known all along - braids are totally a thing. Even the catwalks know it; back in September (the Donna Karan chain braid was what braid-dreams are made of). I had a chat with Sarah Hiscox and Willa Burton, the founders of The Braid Bar, to get the official low-down on all things braidy. The result? My braid-love has reached a whole new height.
**The Debrief: Hey guys, so w****hy do you think braids are trending right now? **
Sarah & Willa: Sophy Robson, a famous nail artist said to us, 'Braids are like leopard print, sometimes they're 'in' but they're never 'out'. It's such a great way of explaining it. Braids will never be out. They're popular because they have the ability to complete a look. Having braids is more interesting than the look of a blow dry, and there is such a diverse range to choose from. They can also be incredibly helpful if you are working non-stop for a week and don't want to worry about what your hair is looking like!!
DB: What's your favourite kind of plait?
**S&W: **We have a few favourite styles on our menu. Willa's favourite is probably the 'Kate' - a delicate heart braid, or the 'Christy', which are double braid buns, they can look very chic! Sarah loves the ‘Gwen' [thick criss-crossing cornrows] as its named after Gwen Stefani who was really one of the first caucasian people to start wearing cornrows.
DB: And what's the most popular braid people ask to have done?
S&W: The most popular braid is probably the 'Claudia' (a hailo braid). Some people like having all their hair up and out of their face. This braid stays in for ages and is far more beautiful than a messy bun!
DB: And you add charms to the braids? What do people tend to go for?
S&W: The My Flash Trash charms are amazing! The most popular is probably the little round plate covered in pink stones. People love The Regal Rose hair rings too - they are so edgy without being too far out!
DB: You've had a lot of celebrity attention – who's been your biggest celebrity fan?
S&W: Suki Waterhouse and her sister Maddie Waterhouse have both instagrammed us which was amazing and Davina McCall has tweeted about us loads!
DB: Can all hair types get braided?
S&W: All types! Last week we did the 'Claudia' on someone with quite short, very thin hair and it looked amazing on her.
DB: Do the braids take long?
S&W: Mostly 10-15minutes unless you’re getting a whole head of cornrows which can take 25 mins.
DB: And how long will they last?
S&W: The tighter the braids the longer they last, typically 3-4 days.
DB: Ok, so what do you think the best braids for a job interview is?
S&W: The 'Claudia' or 'Linda' [1] because they're smart and you look like you mean business!
DB: And for a night out?
S&W
DB: Best for a first date?
S&W:'Kate' or 'Cara' [3] - sexy but they don't look like you’ve made too much effort!
DB: And finally the one if you've got greasy hair but no time to wash it?
S&W:_A_ll types, the dirtier the hair the easier to braid!* *
The Braid Bar Pop-Up is open until 7th March at Selfridges, Oxford Street
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Follow Chemmie on Twitter @chemsquier
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.