They have the first Black male-owned wig line!
A Columbus, Ohio father-son duo are now proud owners in the billion-dollar hair industry, BlackNews.com reports.
41-year-old Dante Lee and his 15-year-old son, DJ, are making history as the first Black father and son duo to own wigs and extensions. A self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur, Lee launched the business in 2022, acquiring BlackHair.com from its former owners who were of Asian descent. The company proudly promotes the tagline, “Where Beauty Meets Royalty,” selling high-end 100% human hair wigs and extensions that come in an array of styles and lengths.
“Looking for a total hair transformation? We can help! We are a Black-owned trusted provider of high quality 100% human hair wigs…We offer complete hair transformations that will leave you looking and feeling your best. Leave the hair to us – Trust us to give you the look you’ve always wanted!,” a statement on the site reads.
The site boasts more than 16 selections in four different textures: natural straight, body wave, tight curly, and loose curly. They also have a ready-to-wear headband wig line that includes colors like salt and pepper gray. For Lee, the business was a no brainer; he and his son both decided to have ownership in an industry that regularly caters to a predominately Black demographic. Whether as a protective style, for added length and volume, or for medical reasons, Black women are the perfecters of the hair extension. As Black men, what better way to support the sisters than by supplying the one thing they’re likely to purchase.
“We love to see Black women wearing natural hairstyles, but we also recognize that millions of Black women around the world enjoy a variety of hairstyles and others have medical conditions that affect their hair. For this reason, we were motivated to establish ourselves as major players in this industry,” Lee told reporters.
According to a 2019 report by Nielsen, African-Americans continue to dominate in the consumer space, accounting for nearly 90% of spending in the ethnic hair and beauty category. With a trillion-dollar buying power, it’s no wonder so many other racial and ethnic communities target Black buyers, specifically those of Chinese and Korean descent who are the majority manufacturers and owners of Black beauty products and supply stores. According to Fortune Business Insights, as of 2020, the global hair extension market was priced at about 2.35 billion USD, expected to grow to about 3.43 billion by 2028. Lee and his son are ensuring they aren’t left out of the market.
“We are very determined to offer the absolute best quality and the most modern styles of Black women in the U.S., Canada, UK, Caribbean, and in all African nations,” said Lee.
The father and son now join a league of Black entrepreneurs stepping into the beauty space to offer their own hair care products geared toward Black consumers. The new hairpreneurs include 9-year-old Zoe Oli, founder of Beautiful Curly Me, Cora and Stefan Miller, owners of plant-based natural hair care line Young King Hair Care, and celebrities like Tracee Ellis Ross, creator of Pattern Beauty. Black entrepreneurs are now working overtime to reclaim an industry that was once ours while paying homage to those who paved the way like Jheri Curl pioneer and Afro Pick promotor Willie L. Morrow.
Who knows Black hair better than Black people? For that reason alone, it’s high time that we took ownership in a sector we stand to benefit and support most — and that’s exactly what Lee and DJ plan to do. To learn more and support their growing business, visit www.BlackHair.com.
Congratulations guys!
Ohio father son duo are proud owners in billion-dollar hair industry. Photo Courtesy of BlackNews.com