Charlotte Mensah

Charlotte Mensah, the highly respected and influential award-winning British/Ghanaian hairstylist, is the beauty industry’s authority on natural, textured and mixed heritage Afro hair.

She is also the founder and artistic director of ‘The Hair Lounge’, the boundary pushing hair salon on London’s fashionably eclectic Portobello Road.

In a career that now spans close to three decades, Charlotte has won numerous awards – including British Hairdressing Awards Afro Hairstylist of the Year, three times. Her expertise is constantly in demand in the UK and Europe as well as globally. Her wide-ranging clientele include prominent fashion and beauty editors, high profile names across the arts such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Janelle Monae, Eve and Zadie Smith and international HNW clients.

Charlotte and her eponymous brand have been featured extensively in numerous prestigious publications including Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Refinery 29, Tatler, Stylist, Glamour. Elle recently profiled her on ‘The Elle List’, a feature that celebrates ‘the game changers reframing the world of fashion, beauty, culture, politics and tech’. Her foray into the world of hairstyling began in the 80’s honing her skills under the watchful eye of Winston Issac; aka The Godfather of British Afro Hairdressing. In 1999, with funding awarded by The Prince’s Trust, Charlotte set up her own salon, The Hair Lounge.

Today, her modern, forward thinking approach to afro hair care is lauded by industry insiders and tastemakers; The Hair Lounge is the ultimate destination for perfectly coiffured afro/mixed heritage hair. As the industry’s foremost authority on textured hair, Charlotte consults for numerous prestigious global hair care brands including L’Oreal and GHD and has collaborated with respected publications, such as Elle, Stylist and Refinery 29, on various high profile projects.

2016 saw the launch of the award winning and industry acclaimed Charlotte Mensah hair care range. This luxurious line has been created specifically to meet the needs of natural, Afro and curly hair textures. Paying homage to her London/Ghanaian upbringing, the British-made brand has been formulated using innovative, organic and sustainable ingredients sourced from around the African continent. Beyond Charlotte’s entrepreneurial prowess also lies a heart for philanthropy and education.

The Charlotte Mensah Academy gives young people in Ghana the opportunity to learn hair styling skills so they can create and sustain a form of income for themselves and their families. Charlotte has also set up a charity, L.O.V.E. (Ladies of Visionary Empowerment) aimed at furthering education opportunities for young women in Africa.

Photographers

Arved Colvin Smith, Benjamin Madgwick, Campbell Addy, Charlotte Ellis, Claudia Knoepfel, Damian Foxe, Danny Kasirye, Ekua King, Hazel Gaskin, Jenny Brough, Josh Shinner, Olivia Lifungula, Ronan McKenzie, Ruth Ossai.

Editorial

1883, British Vogue, Elle UK, Grazia (UK) Harrods, Harper’s Bazaar UK, Heroine, New York Magazine, Paper, Town & Country, Wall Street Journal, The Observer, Sunday Times, Sunday Times Style, Wonderland.

Advertising / PR

Alexander McQueen, Anna Dello Russo, JordanLuca, Outnet.

Celebrities

Adut Akech, Charlotte dos Santos, Dina Asher-Smith, Indya Moore, Jourdan Dunn, June Sarpong, Little Simz, Lorraine Pascale, Michaela Coel, Moses Boyd, Naomi Campbell, Nicola Adams.