Brooklyn native Simone Williams became a household name here and across the pond after breaking the Guinness World Record for having the largest Afro back in December 2020.
William’s afro measures in at 8.07 inches tall and 8.85 inches wide. She says the key to growing healthy hair is patience.
The title was previously held for eight years by Aevin Dugas, creator and founder of Chemhairstry Hair Care.
“I would say just have patience with your hair—it’s a very personal experience,” she told Harpers Bazaar. “Definitely try to figure out what works for you and minimize your expectations and just take time to learn about your hair.”
William’s crown has become a symbol of Black pride and beauty. In another interview, this time with the BBC, she says that since breaking the world record, people from as far as Cuba and Zimbabwe have contacted her to let her know what an inspiration she is.
“So important to me because it holds a lot of my heritage. It’s a way for me to connect with my ancestors, just being a black woman and knowing that people before me have worn their hair like this as such a symbol of pride, like it means so much,” she gushed.
“For Black women, I feel like natural hair symbolizes beauty — also acceptance. This is how our hair grows from our scalps. We don’t need to manipulate it. And I feel like when our hair is natural, where it’s the truest form of ourselves,” the fashion designer added.
