Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Even as the 2024 Paris Olympics come to an end, the world’s greatest black athletes are still winning gold. But alongside all the history they’ve made—we saw the first all-black podium in women’s gymnastics and the all-black U.S. mixed 4x100m team break a world record—the business of black beauty has also broken its own boundaries.
In a first for the Olympics, Mielle Organics has been named the official textured haircare partner of this year’s Games. “This is the first time ever that there has been a textured haircare brand offering products and high-quality ingredients at the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” founder Monique Rodriguez tells ESSENCE. The beauty and grooming salon in the Olympic Village, run by French stylist Raphaël Perrier, features a number of stylists who specialize in textured hair to provide athletes with more comprehensive hair access.
“It’s important that black athletes have access to hair care products because they are underrepresented there,” says Rodriguez. “Historically, black female athletes have always faced a lot of criticism and criticism about their hairstyle on the court, on the field, or at the Olympics.” The most successful gymnast of all time, Simone Biles, had to deal with unwanted opinions about her flyaway hair, while Venus Williams was historically chastised for her famous beaded braids.
With hair discrimination forcing black athletes to conform to Eurocentric beauty ideals, such as the past ban on swim caps for natural hair, Mielle helps break racist, unfair expectations during the Games. “Having access to quality products can have a direct impact on their confidence, which in turn affects their overall performance,” she says.
To do this, Olympic athletes can browse a salon lookbook and choose their services, which range from curly, textured hair to facials and nails. “For example, there’s a styling option called ‘Smooth Start,’ which is a smooth style for anyone who has straight hair,” she explains. “It’s a one-hour service that includes a wash with shampoo and conditioner and (then) our Mielle heat protectant and serum for each style.”
Another service called “Champion Curl” is for athletes with textured afros, which are washed and then styled with Mielle Avocado and Tamanu Curl Protector, Curl Defining Mousse and Super Hold Edge Gel. “I was able to experience this myself and have curls without frizz,” she says. Curly-haired athletes like track and field athlete Vashti Cunningham, heptathlete Taliyah Brooks and Mielle’s WNBA ambassador A’ja Wilson stopped by the salon throughout the competition.
With their performance and appearance being seen around the world, “one of the biggest hair concerns is obviously taking care of the hair so that it looks presentable,” says Rodriguez. “Being on some of the biggest sporting stages in the world is a huge issue for athletes, and not having access to the right products and the right stylists was a big problem,” she continues. “We wanted to be the brand that understood the need and filled that gap.”
Now, with the 2024 Olympics ending next week, athletes can leave the Olympic Village feeling even stronger. “Being the first textured haircare brand to be involved is truly a huge milestone,” she says. “It’s a very exciting moment because I know my brand will touch so many people and give them confidence and enthusiasm to perform at their absolute best.”
