Is this the change the afro hair industry needs?

This spring a number of top afro specific hair salons and stylists have joined forces with UK e-retailer for afro and textured hair, Antidote Street to pledge to change the perception of the afro hair industry. As a industry that continues to grow (over 10 million women identify as having afro or multi-textured hair in the UK and across Europe) the afro hair industry is big business and a huge part of the revenue stream of the world of beauty.  However, complaints of poor time keeping, bad customer service and lack of product knowledge have plagued the sector, making what is meant to be one of the most relaxing parts of a person's beauty regime a bigger stress. https://www.instagram.com/p/BvW_rO1lGsA/ Winnie Awa, founder of Antidote Street, gathered some of the leading names in afro hair for a symposium which was co-chaired by session stylist Subrina Kidd to launch the Antidote Street Manifesto. "Whilst there are so many salons individually doing great work, coming together to collaboratively set the standard allows us to hold ourselves accountable to creating the best possible experience for our customers!" says Winnie. The manifesto is as follows: 1. A beautiful client experience: We are going back to the heart of hairdressing and putting our customer first. We are committed to helping them feel and look their best and that starts with a welcoming environment. 2. The science of hair care: We are constantly learning, adapting and innovating. We use our expert product knowledge to provide advice and education based on individual client needs. 3. R-E-S-P-E-CT: We are professionals and believe that respect goes both ways. We take measures to ensure that time is managed properly both for the benefit of our clients and our business. 4. Salon excellence: We take quality and standards seriously. We don’t settle for anything less that excellence across all areas from both hair to non-hair aspects of our salon. 5. Hairdressing is our craft and artistry: We own it and act as beacons of our trade. We believe in building, collaborating with our peers and upholding a sustainable afro hair industry for our community. Forming members include Afrotherapy, MOISO London, Peckham Palms and SIMPLYGorgeous. As a sign of their pledge and promise, each business will display the manifesto badge in their premises and website, allowing customers to instantly recognise the standards to be experienced. Lead image courtesy of River Island via prshots