This previous weekend at Essence Competition, Mielle flipped the script in your typical model pop-up and took Black magnificence lovers on a nostalgic journey by means of time, one which reminded us the place our tales begin: the salon chair. Tucked inside New Orleans’ Riverwalk Mall, Retailer #280 grew to become the set of “Mielle Magnificence Rewind,” a 90s-inspired cultural homage to Black hair, sisterhood and self-expression, reimagined with a futuristic twist.
From the second you walked in, it was clear this wasn’t your common product sales space. We’re speaking checkerboard flooring, beaded curtains, “No Scrubs” on loop, and a salon setup that regarded plucked straight from an episode of Residing Single. However this wasn’t nearly throwback vibes—it was about legacy. Mielle turned the area right into a time capsule-meets-tech hub, full with a sensible AI mirror that allow friends nearly attempt on textured hairstyles, product schooling partitions that broke down the science of hair care, and a DJ sales space that saved the vibes flowing.
The idea? A magnificence bodega constructed for the tradition. “We wished to have fun the rituals that raised us—from wash day to woman speak to that first press ‘n curl,” stated Noelle Roberts, AVP of Advertising and marketing and mastermind behind the activation. “This can be a love letter to the ladies who constructed this model and the communities that made it matter.”
Founder and CEO Monique Rodriguez was on-site all through the weekend, greeting friends and sharing how Mielle continues to innovate for the textured hair group—from their ride-or-die Rosemary Mint oil to the hydration-packed Kalahari Melon & Aloe Vera assortment. President Omar Goff talked development and what’s subsequent, whereas Dr. Ashley Taylor Jackson broke down the science behind the shine.
And since that is Mielle, no element went untouched. Your entire build-out was powered by nineteenth & Park, an all-Black, female-led artistic group that is aware of how you can inform a narrative by means of area. The consequence? A pop-up that didn’t simply promote merchandise—it centered the tradition, honored the previous, and laid out a daring, lovely blueprint for what’s subsequent in Black hair care.
Should you missed it, contemplate this your signal to by no means sleep on a Mielle second once more.