Tracee Ellis Ross’s voluminous, bouncy curls are the first thing you see when the actress steps into a room. But how does she make her hair look good?
While starring on the popular sitcom Girlfriends, she noticed she was one of the few actresses in Hollywood embracing their natural hair, which was “a journey not supported by commercials, entertainment and rows of products in every store,” she told WWD. Ross dreamed up Pattern, her new hair care brand specializing in curly, coily, and textured hair, in 2008 right after Girlfriends ended.
“You could chronicle my journey of self-acceptance over the years through my journey with my hair, which I don’t think is unique to me,” Ross told WWD. She explained that “the culture of beauty has been so steeped in patriarchy, racism and sexism for so long,” which has made it difficult for people of color to find haircare and makeup products that treat various hair types and skin tones. “It’s not that those skin tones and hair types haven’t existed, but there hasn’t been a large space and understanding for it,” she continued. “That’s why it’s taken me so long to make these dreams happen.”
After ten years of developing the brand and two years of testing its products, Pattern will make its debut on September 9 on patternbeauty.com and will hit 12,000 Ulta store shelves nationwide. According to WWD, the line includes seven products that can be used in your everyday routine, including a shampoo, three different types of conditioners, a leave-in conditioner and two hair serums.
Ross explained on Instagram that Pattern “is for those of us who need more than a quarter size of product” and will have “accessible pricing because everyone should have access to their most beautiful hair in their own shower, and gorgeous packaging that conjures the legacy of our history and makes us all feel like the royalty that we are.”
Sign up for updates on Pattern’s launch here.