If you’ve ever gone to the hair salon for a blowout, silk press, or roller set and unforeseen bad weather has ruined your hair, you no longer have to face this dilemma. In 2016, Tracey Pickett launched Hairbrella, a fashionable and effective rain hat to keep your tresses dry no matter the forecast. The Spelman College graduate recently launched Hairbrella Pro, specifically designed for use by essential workers during the pandemic.
Rolling out spoke with Pickett about her unique products.
What was the driving force behind creating Hairbrella?
In law school, I had an on-campus interview that I wanted to nail. [When I] arrived in the parking deck, the sky fell out, [and] I had 15 minutes to walk across campus and settle myself in time for the interview. I forgot my umbrella, and all I had was an Office Depot bag. I ran across campus in a panic and walked into the [University of Georgia’s] law library doors to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked like Janet Jackson’s [character] in Why Did I Get Married.
I wanted to cry, and I realized then that I had to find a solution. That night, I started looking online for a hat that would completely cover my hair in the rain, and there was nothing. I thought, how is it that we wouldn’t get in the shower without a shower cap, but there’s nothing to fully cover my hair in the rain? The only options were bucket hats and plastic bonnets, which leave your hair exposed and trap heat. Later that week, I was bringing groceries [into] my apartment and it started raining. I grabbed my shower cap and put a beanie over it. After several trips to the car, my hair was still perfect. That was the beginning of product development for Hairbrella.
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