Upon entering Napps Salon in the heart of the U. City Loop, the vibe is more like the mingling session just before an open mic poetry night at a black bookstore and coffee shop than a hair salon.
Sweet incense burn as Afro-beats pulse from the speakers. People laugh and chatter in anticipation for the main attraction.
In the case of Napps, it’s the mane attraction.
Bags with thick, coarse hair sitting next to individual afro puffs line the display of extensions, the weave corner of the shop. The inventory bears little resemblance to the silky Asian and Indian grades of hair that fill the racks of local beauty supply shops throughout North St. Louis and North County.
“Natural hair is definitely going to be difficult for us to work with because we are not used to working with it,” Napps owner Mekhat Moore said. “Have we ever? Ever since we were six and had a relaxer?”
Many black women have gone from the cradle to the pressing comb – or kit, among the younger generations.
“It’s sad,” Moore said.
“Here we with a black president and have gone through all of the things that black people have gone through to be where we are, and we still cannot accept ourselves with our own look, with our own skin and our own hair.”
For 18 years Moore has done her part by way of her salon to make sure that everyone knows that black – black hair, in particular – is beautiful.
“I got into the (Afro-centric) culture, and I started wearing my hair natural,” Moore said.
“I couldn’t keep doing relaxers if I was against that for myself, and I think that’s what made me go into doing natural hair exclusively.”
Nappy and proud
When she was first starting out as a stylist, locs were worn only by a select few – including Moore herself – who decided to embrace their Afrocentricities as a form of self love. Unlike its roots as an insult, Moore uses “nappy” as a term of endearment, a source of pride.
“I just felt like it was something that I needed to do,” Moore said. “I wanted have a place that specialized in it and had respect for it and wanted to work with their hair and not try to get away from it.”
And so in 1992 – one year out of cosmetology school – she did it.
Thanks to the popularity of braids like those worn by Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice and Regina King in Boyz In The Hood, Napps was able to prosper and evolve into a natural hair Mecca for the St. Louis Area.
Twists, braids, extensions, weaves, cuts and styles – whatever you like, except for straight – can be done and there is a special “Napps” technique for every style.
From locs cut into an angular bob or pulled up into a formal bun to Moore’s latest experiment (on herself) that included a full head of thick, wavy burgundy-kissed weave that she had just bonded in early Saturday afternoon.
Her new coif was a stark contrast from the tiny twists that had become her trademark since cutting off her locs. It showcased the surprising versatility of going natural.
“The way that people deal with you in a regular shop is like ‘oh why don’t you put a perm on this or let me straighten this,” Moore said. “It’s never ‘oh let me see how I can work with what you have.’ We give professional salon styles to people who want to wear natural hair.”
While business has always been booming, Moore admitted that after the 10 year anniversary of Napps, she was nervous. She feared that, like Parsons, Mr. Lamar and plenty of other names in St. Louis black hair history, she was destined to become a has-been.
“I started to think about those people who were here before me who were really known and doing really well and all of a sudden they would just fall off,” Moore said.
“I was getting worried! I was like, ‘Man, what am I going to do? Dreadlocks are going to go out of style, and what am I going to do?’’
That was eight years ago. Today Napps is still going strong, with its own product line and its own cosmetology school in the works.
“Locs have become extremely popular – maybe because of Lil’ Wayne,” Moore said.
“Whatever the case, business is better than ever. My whole thing is to get people to love themselves and not automatically think to just go to straightened.”
Moore wants people to at least consider embracing the kinks and curls that come with our roots.
“That’s why I will always be here,” Moore said. “Because we will always be born with this nappy hair.”
Sexy Buddha
“I’ve always made clothes, and even when I first opened Napps in ’92 I always had clothes,” said Moore.
“The salon had clothes in it – I just did hair. What happened was over time the natural hair business really picked up and I just happened to not have as much time to make clothes anymore.”
When space became available next door to her salon, Moore rekindled her passion for fashion.
With a team of stylists next door, she now has time and space to focus on Sexy Buddha – a women’s boutique that showcases her unique style.
Eclectic one-of-a-kind pieces line the walls, hanging alongside anchor garments that can be recycled through a wardrobe through mix and match.
“I have to like it, and that’s my rule,” Moore said about the diverse inventory. “I like beautiful things, so I always try to pick outstandingly beautiful or very useful things.”
Just as she does in her salon, Moore goes against the grain with her boutique. Little black dresses give way to tribal print wrap skirts and kimono-style dresses. It’s a bright, colorful, festive mix.
“I’m a person that only buys special pieces,” Moore said. “After you have all of your basics and you want to spruce up your look, that’s what I specialize in.”
There is more to Sexy Buddha than meets the eye. The location also serves as a headquarters for Moore to conduct wardrobe planning and personal shopping, in addition to offering an exquisite alternative to the assembly line fashion seen in department stores.
“I just love creating beauty,” Moore said. “It makes you feel good, and it makes those around you feel good.”
Napps and Sexy Buddha are located at 6267 Delmar Blvd. For more information, call (314) 727-0312 or visit www.myspace.com/nappsworldwide.
