Birth of the Brand |
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In September, 2011, I big chopped my hair (for the second time). My first BC was in 2007, but a lack of understanding and the fact that I couldn't find anyone to help maintain my trims ended this first experience. I was devastated and decided to try again when my aunt died of Lymphoma during Hurricane Irene. Despite my grief and previous failure, this time I was determined to make it work. But as the weeks wore on and the weather got colder, I missed the layer of warmth my hair provided. So, I picked up my crochet hook and made a slouchy beanie.
I loved that hat. I wore it all the time. Other people liked it too and began to ask for hats of their own. And so began my handmade accessories venture. Friends and family kept me so busy in those first few months that I decided to open an online store. The orders came in both online and in my day to day life and I was more than thrilled that people outside my personal circle liked my little creations enough to pay money for them. Imagine that!
I wore my slouchy hat (and several others like it that I designed) all winter long. But in the spring, I noticed my hair was extremely dry and my ends were frizzier than normal. I deep conditioned and did all the things I was supposed to do when trying to help my hair recover from extreme damage. I even did a mini chop to get rid of the lifeless ends... again. That really sucked since I had finally gotten about 4" of natural hair and I was forced back down to 2".
Over the summer I worked to bring my hair back to a healthy state and managed to succeed. The dryness was gone and my curls were popping. But in the fall, when the weather turned colder and the hats came back to play, I found myself in the same boat with my hair. This time, I made the connection that the hats must be snagging my precious tresses and absorbing all the moisture I was putting in them. God forbid!! It hurt my heart that I couldn't wear my own creations anymore. I mean, Caheez was started because of a hat but now my hats were off limits to me! The irony of it all!
2012 was a cold winter indeed. Thankfully it didn't snow much here, but those frigid temps kept me indoors most of the time (which isn't too big a deal because I would rather live on a tropical island if I had my way). I still battled dry, brittle hair, but it was manageable with a little extra TLC. Still… I love a hat. And I was bummed I couldn't wear the ones everyone else was ordering from me. Thus began my experiments.
First I tried wrapping a scarf around my head and then putting on a hat. That worked until the wind kicked up and the hat slid off my head. How embarrassing. Then I tried pinning a satin sleeping cap into one of my hats but I quickly squashed that idea when I bent my head the wrong way and the pin popped open, stabbing me in the neck. SMH
Just when I was about to give up the idea of ever wearing a beanie again, the lightbulb went on! I went through a series of designs until I finally came up with one that works and looks pretty great. (I am always surprised and humbled by the finished products because it's hard to believe God inspired my two hands to create such fun things!)
The Caheez Signature Collection of satin lined accessories is like a "coming home" for me. I'd created so many hats and more for others that I was in love with but couldn't wear for so long and finally, the thing I started the business with is now my favorite innovation I've ever come up with! On November 8th, 2013, I had my first photo shoot for these Satin Lined Hats with a beautiful woman named Victoria. The collection was launched on November 11th, creating an entirely new branch of the natural hair care industry (yup, you saw them here first). But more importantly, this collection met a need and was long over due.
I'm so proud of this line. It has become an olive branch between winter fashion and the protection for tresses of all textures. But more promising than that, I believe the satin lined accessories I create are a move toward mainstreaming highly texturized hair. And tell me what could be better than that!
♥ Carla Helené
I loved that hat. I wore it all the time. Other people liked it too and began to ask for hats of their own. And so began my handmade accessories venture. Friends and family kept me so busy in those first few months that I decided to open an online store. The orders came in both online and in my day to day life and I was more than thrilled that people outside my personal circle liked my little creations enough to pay money for them. Imagine that!
I wore my slouchy hat (and several others like it that I designed) all winter long. But in the spring, I noticed my hair was extremely dry and my ends were frizzier than normal. I deep conditioned and did all the things I was supposed to do when trying to help my hair recover from extreme damage. I even did a mini chop to get rid of the lifeless ends... again. That really sucked since I had finally gotten about 4" of natural hair and I was forced back down to 2".
Over the summer I worked to bring my hair back to a healthy state and managed to succeed. The dryness was gone and my curls were popping. But in the fall, when the weather turned colder and the hats came back to play, I found myself in the same boat with my hair. This time, I made the connection that the hats must be snagging my precious tresses and absorbing all the moisture I was putting in them. God forbid!! It hurt my heart that I couldn't wear my own creations anymore. I mean, Caheez was started because of a hat but now my hats were off limits to me! The irony of it all!
2012 was a cold winter indeed. Thankfully it didn't snow much here, but those frigid temps kept me indoors most of the time (which isn't too big a deal because I would rather live on a tropical island if I had my way). I still battled dry, brittle hair, but it was manageable with a little extra TLC. Still… I love a hat. And I was bummed I couldn't wear the ones everyone else was ordering from me. Thus began my experiments.
First I tried wrapping a scarf around my head and then putting on a hat. That worked until the wind kicked up and the hat slid off my head. How embarrassing. Then I tried pinning a satin sleeping cap into one of my hats but I quickly squashed that idea when I bent my head the wrong way and the pin popped open, stabbing me in the neck. SMH
Just when I was about to give up the idea of ever wearing a beanie again, the lightbulb went on! I went through a series of designs until I finally came up with one that works and looks pretty great. (I am always surprised and humbled by the finished products because it's hard to believe God inspired my two hands to create such fun things!)
The Caheez Signature Collection of satin lined accessories is like a "coming home" for me. I'd created so many hats and more for others that I was in love with but couldn't wear for so long and finally, the thing I started the business with is now my favorite innovation I've ever come up with! On November 8th, 2013, I had my first photo shoot for these Satin Lined Hats with a beautiful woman named Victoria. The collection was launched on November 11th, creating an entirely new branch of the natural hair care industry (yup, you saw them here first). But more importantly, this collection met a need and was long over due.
I'm so proud of this line. It has become an olive branch between winter fashion and the protection for tresses of all textures. But more promising than that, I believe the satin lined accessories I create are a move toward mainstreaming highly texturized hair. And tell me what could be better than that!
♥ Carla Helené
