Tookie Sets the Trend: More About the Braided Style of the Year

Source: Willie B. Thomas / Getty

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know about the Braided Baldie. The unique protective style is comprised of flowers, zig zags, the year you were born, swirls galore, and any other trippy design you can come up with, which is the elevated version of a pixie cut. This way, you ain’t gotta do the big chop. Talk about innovation.

The creator of the viral sensation, Monteria “Tookie” Johnson, has set the world ablaze ever since she dropped a video of the style that covers the head in one continuous cornrow. She amassed over 3 million views and 182K likes, elevating Johnson’s talent to unprecedented heights.

Although Johnson did not pioneer the style, she added a personal touch and revived an old classic. By naming it the “braided baldie,” she fostered a sense of unity and recognition among those who embraced this trend.

In her formative years, Johnson never anticipated becoming a hairstylist; however, she gained recognition as a master braider. Inspired by the old-school style salons of her childhood, she established her first business, Natural Hair Flows. Driven by her mission to join the California Make-Up and Hairstylist Guild, Johnson embarked on a journey of rebranding Natural Hair Flows, which ultimately led to the creation of her current brand, Tookie Did It .

Of course, we had to connect with the queen herself, so we sat down with Tookie to learn more about her journey, going viral, and what’s next.

HelloBeautiful: Can you tell us the story behind “Braided Baldie”? How did this project come about?

Monteria “Tookie” Johnson: I had a client come in to get design braids, and I just wanted to try something new and said, how about we just put everything up almost like a beehive back in the day but with designs, and we did it and it turned out fire . That one didn’t go viral, but the one I did the very next day is the one that went worldwide.

HelloBeautiful: How does the style reflect your personal experiences and journey?

Johnson: I think the style reflects my personal journey of Braiding from when I was smaller to now. I love doing design braids, like zigzag, crisscross, circles, and heart stars. The style allows you to be creative and free, and I think my personal touch on it made it what it is today. I didn’t invent it. I just re-introduced it to the world.

HelloBeautiful: What message do you hope to convey through the “Braided Baldie”?

Johnson: Confidence, individuality, creativity and just uniqueness.

HelloBeautiful: How did you feel when “Braided Baldie” went viral? Did you expect this kind of reception?

Johnson: Honestly, I didn’t think it was gonna go viral. It caught me off guard. I was just being creative and wanted to try something new, and to my surprise, everybody loved it or hated it. I hate the name anyway, but I thought it is unique because it gives you the mindset of having a bald head , but it’s braids, you know. I love that everyone is trying it, and other braiders are challenging themselves to do it because it’s not an easy style, but I love that we’re opening the door to new trends and new things this summer . My hope is that the braided baldhead continues to live on and be incorporated into the forever trends of the world.

HelloBeautiful: In what ways does the viral sensation celebrate and showcase the magic of Black women?

Johnson: It showcases that black women are and have always been creative trendsetters and can rock anything confidently.

HelloBeautiful: What impact do you hope “Braided Baldie” will have on your audience and the broader community?

Johnson: Honestly, I hope that it opens the minds of braiders to show that our skills can surpass what we think and that the community will love the showcase of styles we try. At this point, my audience knows that I can pretty much do any style, and I challenge myself to try new styles to create new trends because who likes to wear the same thing over and over ? Creating something new and wearing those styles creates individuality, head-turners, and overall confidence.

HelloBeautiful: What’s next for you? How can we continue to support your work?

Johnson: Right now, I’m on a series of re-creating 90s styles in braid form and just trying new things. You never know what can happen. I’ve created the braided French roll, which has come back into trend, which is amazing . Braided pin curls, braided updos, braided finger waves. I love everything old-school and making it in a modern twist so you guys can support by reposting & sharing with the world that these are out there, they fly, and it’s only getting better from here.

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The post Tookie Sets the Trend: More About the Braided Style of the Year appeared first on HelloBeautiful - Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle and Hair Care for Black Women .