She’s the first but hopefully not the last!
Sarah Brown has been a hairstylist in the beauty industry for over 25 years. Now she’s elevating her business with the opening of the Beauty Trap, Columbia, Columbia, Missouri’s first Black-owned beauty supply store, reports the Columbia Missourian. For Brown, her shop, one of only two beauty supply shops in the city, aims to mentor, uplift, and encourage young African American girls.
In addition to the Beauty Trap, Brown owns D’mmi-Stylez Beauty Bar, named after her daughter, just a few doors down from the new store. She credits her mentor, Mary Smith, founder of Mary Smith’s Beauty Salon, for inspiring her to pursue business ownership.
“I taught Sarah how to do hair for Black customers, something they don’t teach you at school,” Smith told the Columbia Missourian. “Sarah and I have both taken classes for hair over the years, and we teach each other what we have learned.”
The Beauty Trap held its grand opening on July 2nd and is located at 3200 Penn Terrace, Suite 121 in Columbia, Missouri.
Cover photo: Meet Sarah Brown, Owner of First Black Beauty Supply Store in Columbia, Missouri/Photo Credit: Sarah Voyles/Missourian