Sienna Miles Fekete on Caring for Her Locs and How Hair Can Be Empowering
Texture Diaries is a space for Black people across industries to reflect on their journeys to self-love and how accepting their hair, in all its glory, played a pivotal role in this process. Each week, they share their favorite hair rituals, products, and the biggest lessons they’ve learned when it comes to affirming their beauty and owning their unique hair texture.
Centering the work and perspectives of women of color is the job Sienna Miles Fekete loves most. The Los Angeles–born, Brooklyn-based producer and curator does so through her cultural agency and creative studio, Chroma. A recent project, “Source of Nurture,” curated a mix of music by WOC artists like Kelsey Lu and Kelela, with 100% of the album’s proceeds going towards initiatives like Equality for Flatbush and Movement for Black Lives. Fekete soon hopes to have a physical space for community as well, furthering her mission to create “a beautiful network of support and amplification of the amazing work women of color are doing collectively across industries and creative fields.”
When it comes to beauty, Fekete is personally empowered by her hair. “I’ve had locs my whole life,” she says. “It’s the hairstyle that feels the most like me—natural, imperfect, and free. This style also makes me feel connected to my Caribbean heritage.” She adds that it’s currently the longest it’s ever been. “It’s exciting because I’m experimenting with all these new styles. I love the freedom that my hair allows me based on my mood.” She’s been trying buns, pigtails, and bandanas, just to name a few.
“I’ve definitely learned to love my hair with age. Hair acceptance, and straight-up love, can be such a complicated and nuanced journey, especially for Black women,” she says. Growing up in Los Angeles, Fekete understood what she describes as “the prismatic nature of Black hair” through her mother and her mother’s friends. “She’s my hairstylist; it’s very homegrown. I think I’ve been to a hair salon five times in my entire life! I’m excited for our future hair stories as mother and daughter.”
In addition to her mother, Fekete’s biggest hair inspiration is Valerie June, a folk, blues, soul musician from Memphis who she discovered on Tumblr in high school when she used to create vision boards for her own hair. “She has the most amazing dreadlocks,” Fekete says. “I’ve never seen such full, spiraling, boundless locs as hers. I actually saw her once on a subway platform in New York. It was amazing, we just smiled at each other, admiring each other’s hair from afar.”
When it comes to maintaining her look, Fekete considers herself low-maintenance. “It’s all about accessibility and effectiveness. Can I get this product easily? Is it affordable? Does it work for my hair texture?” she says of the questions she asks herself when selecting products. “I love to discover and support local Black-owned businesses and hair-care products in my neighborhood,” she adds. Coconut oil, argan oil, and conditioners are staples. “I got some amazing gardenia argan oil when I was traveling in Morocco with my friends the summer of 2019.”
Her go-to hair ritual begins each morning with a shower and deep conditioning, she then sprays her whole body with some rose water. “My hair is like a sponge, it takes forever to dry. I usually leave my hair wrapped with a towel for a while then let it down to air dry while getting ready and listening to a NTS Radio mix,” she says of her daily moment of zen. “[My hair] always looks the best right out of the shower, that extra fresh and moisturized feeling. I’m very luxurious when it comes to getting ready, and I don’t like to rush.”
In addition to her daily routine, Fekete swears by words of self-love. “Love what you got,” she says. “Stay curious. Experiment. Appreciate your heritage. Never be surprised by the beauty, magic, and power of hair.”
Photo: Courtesy of Ladin Awad. Styling: Becky Akinyode1/22One of my favorite go-to styles: a simple bun. Perfect for when I’m in a rush.
Photo: Courtesy of Ladin Awad. Styling: Becky Akinyode2/22My hair is getting so much longer, and I’ve been really enjoying playing around with different styles like braids.
