MADE Maven Special Women's Issue April 2018 | Page 40

S
MADEINC
In a world full of cookie
cutter natural hair care brands
that all make the same promis-
es but rarely deliver, The Doux
(pronounced "The Do") is a
breath of fresh hair...I mean air.
The retro hip-hop themed line,
available at Target, was created
by long-time beauty aficionado,
Maya Smith, who also serves
as the creative director. With
more than 22 years in the
hair care business, she honed
her skills into a collection
of incredible products that
will not only lay down your
flyaways, but also remind you
of your fave hip hop song with
its genius labels (see Bonita
Afrobalm’s twist on A Tribe
Called Quest’s classic hit).
he recently sat down with us to share
how she created her line, how her
love of music inspired her work and
why no other brand can do it like The
Doux.
MADE: Walk me through the story of Doux.
How’d you come up with the idea?
MS: In 2008 when I opened my salon, The
HoneyComb, I served a multicultural clientele
with a variety of unique needs. Some were
naturally curly, others had straighter, wavier
hair, but they all had one thing in common:
they wanted versatility, curl definition and frizz
control, whether they were styling their hair curly
or straight. I found myself bouncing between
product lines in two categories: straight/relaxed
and kinky/curly. There didn’t seem to be one
brand that supported my philosophy: Natural is
about freedom. True freedom is about versatility.
Chicks with real hair should be able to use one
Row
FOUNDERS
MADE BY JASMINE BROWLEY
I’ve always carried the
motto, “Rejection is
Protection.” I can’t think
of one “No” that didn’t
lead to a huge “Yes” in the
future. Rejection for me,
like many entrepreneurs,
is a necessary ingredient
to growing tough skin. It
forces me to constantly
MADE BY JASMINE BROWLEY
challenge myself in what
I believe.
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