Inventing the Edge Styler®

The concept for Baby Tress emerged from the collaboration of the Mama Tress creative agency, founded by my co-founder Hannah Choi, and me, who joined the team to manage our second-ever client, It's A Wig, in the summer of 2017. Our small group of diverse female peers used research, product development, branding, and storytelling to address the lack of representation of women of color in the beauty industry.

The Edge Styler® was originally a gift-with-purchase idea, but we decided to create our own after discovering the lack of functional, high-quality edge styling brushes in the market. We progressed from a rough sketch (pictured) to 3D printing a prototype, which we eventually brought to a factory in China for production. By the summer of 2018, we had a patented, packaged product ready for the beauty marketplace. Our patent was awarded to us in 2020.

Our mission to create modern hair tools rooted in legacy continues to be our driving force. As Creative Director, I lead the marketing strategy and ensure a consistent brand identity across all products and projects, telling the brand's story. Although I did not originally intend to become a business owner, co-ownership has taught me the balance of independence, self-sufficiency, and profitability.

Responsibilities:

1. Creative Direction
2. Content Strategy
3. Copywriting
4. Branding
5. Social Media Management
6. Team Leadership