DevaCurl Gets Back to Curly Roots with Texas Event

When Colin Walsh took over the reins of one of the top curl brands in November 2013, he immersed himself in the curly culture that inspired the brand, DevaCurl. “This notion of a curl culture is what I think is so exciting,” says Walsh. “Being curly and living curly in this world is something remarkable and powerful. It’s overt and visible, and it creates and elicits reactions in people.”

To celebrate the beauty of curls and curly living, Walsh and his DevaCurl team are taking this philosophy on the road with Curls Night Out, a national tour of curl culture that will kick off June 17, 2014, in Tyler, Texas, and will tour the country. The night will combine entertainment, inspiration and education and will feature curly celebrities, stylists and curly consumers.

A Time to Share

“Being curly can feel like a solitary challenge and existence,” Walsh says. “The reality is that it’s something to share and celebrate”. At Curls Night Out, people will have a chance to meet curl icons, share curl stories and embrace curl culture.

Curls Night Out also will feature real-life stories by local curly women and men from Texas. The Curly Monologues portion of the show provides a dynamic way for people to relate and connect, says Walsh.

A New Experience

This focus on curl culture is a new twist for the straight-haired Walsh, who was recruited by private equity firm Tenegram Capital Partners. Walsh came from Matrix, one of the largest professional hair care brands in the U.S. and a part of the L’Oréal professional products division.

Launching 15 years ago at the Devachan salon in New York , DevaCurl quickly became one of the leading brands for curly hair. It is known for its line of sulfate-, silicone- and paraben-free cleansers, conditioners and styling products, which are sold through professional salon distributors and prestige retail partners. DevaCurl also serves its clients and stylists through its own salons and education facilities, including its New York and Los Angeles flagship salons. In addition, the company currently operates two academies where stylists learn about the specific needs of curly-haired consumers and the DevaCurl method of cleansing, styling and cutting.

“As the leader of the brand, it’s important to talk about what I believe in,” Walsh says. “This is what I believe in. It’s a natural extension of everything DevaCurl has always believed in—that being curly is something to celebrate and be proud of.”

A Curly Celebration

Tyler, a city of 100,000 people in Northeast Texas, may seem an unlikely place to host DevaCurl’s first Curls Night Out stop. But Walsh says, “Why not Tyler?" DevaCurl will host two more Curls Night Out events in the fall, although the locations haven’t been announced. Walsh also noted the brand hopes to visit 10 to 15 cities in 2015, with the tour culminating in a huge curl gathering where thousands of people with curls, coils and waves will be able to celebrate and connect. Think of it as a “Curlapalooza.”

“We want people to take away from the notion that being curly is an incredible gift to be celebrated, envied and expressed—not something to hide, control or constrain,” Walsh encourages.

Michelle Breyer is president and co-founder of TextureMedia, one of the world’s largest social media hair care platforms. It works to empower, engage and educate its multicultural community of female influencers. Based in Austin, Texas, TextureMedia has an audience of more than 30 million unique visitors a year to its NaturallyCurly, CurlyNikki, CurlMart and CurlStylist websites.

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