This forthcoming textured haircare brand caught the attention of a beauty retail giant pre-launch. Let's find out more about the Sephora Accelerate 2024 Cohort member, Soft Rows.
According to founder Quani Burnett, "many textured hair brands within the prestige space are positioned around natural ingredients, oils, and butters. With Soft Rows, we exist at the intersection of science and salons."
When people think of Soft Rows, Burnett wants them to think of both the vastness and versatility of textured hair.
"The freedom to express yourself through hair and to have products that bring the care back into your hair [routine]. I want to evoke a sense of nostalgia, and personal connections that feel uniquely personal yet universally appreciated," she shares.
Soft Rows invested in its proprietary formulas, which have been developed by best-in-class chemists who are deeply in tune with the latest in R&D. These chemists are also women of color who understand the important nuances, both culturally and scientifically, when it comes to caring for textured hair.
The brand tests its formulas in real time as well, with licensed cosmetologists who have and know all about textured hair, ultimately helping Soft Rows create a fully inclusive pipeline from ideation, to its marketing and beyond.
"Building Soft Rows has been in parallel to my own journey towards softness and self-acceptance. Therefore my authenticity is directly connected to how Soft Rows shows up in the world. It is ever-evolving, deeply inquisitive, and ever-pining for a safe place for me and my community to be soft with our hair and ourselves," Burnett shares.
Prior to the creation of her brand, Burnett was a content creator passionately advocating for inclusivity and building community through social media. She caught the attention of other beauty founders and ended up consulting for a variety of well-known brands, including Briogeo, Versed, and Paula's Choice.
The founder made a full-time leap into the beauty space when she joined the team at Youth to the People and has worked across community, influencer, product and brand marketing divisions throughout her career. Burnett is also a published writer, with words found in Byrdie and Essence, and focuses her topics around the intersection between culture and beauty.
Honestly, it's all pretty iconic.
Join us for a round of Quani Quotes.
Quani Burnett, Founder of Soft Rows, On...
Vulnerability:
A successful beauty brand founder once told me "the things you don't like about yourself are ultimately your superpowers. Lean into your super powers." If you're a new entrepreneur, get comfortable with being uncomfortable and being vulnerable; and embrace your uniqueness. For me, this means embracing my tightly textured hair, my deep personality, and the soft power in which I show up in the world.
The Sephora Accelerate Cohort:
I am forever indebted to the mentorship and guidance I received as it really gave me a clear understanding of all the aspects it takes to launch a brand. I encourage everyone to apply no matter what stage of brand you're in!
Trends in Beauty:
What's old is new. Trends are cyclic and so, for me, I keep the core consumer in mind as I build Soft Rows. Because our brand is rooted in ancestral heritage, I find that Soft Rows becomes timeless, connecting across generations and cultures of people.
Challenges as a Founder:
The mental and fiscal costs of starting a brand is really steep. I am currently bootstrapping and applying to grants and seeking angel investors and there's a whole host of upfront and occurring costs that make it feel challenging but my belief and perseverance makes it worth it.
Unexpected Joys:
Meeting kind people who simply want to help you with no ulterior motive. It's hard to find. genuine people and I've been truly blessed to have encountered great people through my entrepreneurial journey.
Soft Rows will be going to market with a soft launch and limited release of its products in the next few months of 2024. The brand plans to spend its infancy continuing to lean into its audience and culture curation, growing a community both offline and on. Burnett's goal is to grow at a pace that feels both sustainable and impactful.
If you're interested in staying in the loop with the brand, you can sign up for the Soft Rows newsletter and wait list here. We also encourage you to check out its editorial content while you wait.
And if it wasn't already apparent -- Soft Rows is absolutely a brand to watch.
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