As a freshman, third-year psychological & brain science major Sydney Scott searched for hairstylists to style curly and textured hair from a relatively small selection available at UC Santa Barbara and in Isla Vista. Two years later, she founded the Crown Collective, a pop-up beauty supply business coming to campus next month that promotes hair services provided by locals and sells Black haircare products.

Sydney Scott and Love Alexius have spent the past quarter planning the beauty supply pop-up. Meia Voss/ Daily Nexus

“I had to search for people that did hair, that did braids, that did weaves, I had to search for those people. And the people that I go to now are a consequence of my own search,” Scott said. “And also at UCSB, we have such a big culture of pop-ups already, so I kind of wanted to implement that as well.” 

Products sold include braiding hair, hair weaves, body scrubs, wave caps and bonnets, among others. Currently, the pop-up will be held once a month at the Student Resource Building, possibly expanding to once every two weeks after it has been established.

The name was inspired by referring to hair as crowns, in particular, the 2019 Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (C.R.O.W.N.) Act which prohibits hair discrimination based on race, especially regarding employment and education.

“When we refer to our hair as Black people, we refer to it as our crowns. And you can see that in the C.R.O.W.N. Act, we really refer to it as our crowns, because, as a community, our hair just means so much to us,” Scott said.

Scott’s journey in bringing the project to life began last summer when she initially conceived the idea of installing a vending machine on campus with Black haircare products. After presenting it to the Office of Black Student Development (OBSD) and facing logistical difficulties with the sustainability and upkeep of the machine, she pivoted to founding a pop-up business.

Scott said the idea of this model was appealing because it could sustain itself financially and become an employment opportunity for students. 

“When it keeps going, it’ll be sustainable by other students. So I can have employees and stuff, and it can create another source of income for Black students on campus,” she said.  

The OBSD and the local nonprofit Healing Justice Santa Barbara are mentoring Scott in navigating the process of starting her own business.

Products sold include braiding hair, hair weaves, body scrubs, wave caps and bonnets, among others. Meia Voss/ Daily Nexus

To gain a sense of the need for a beauty supply on campus, Scott issued a campuswide survey to students, especially Black students, to survey their need for hair care products. She sent the form directly to students and posted it on social media, receiving over 60 replies. The results indicated that several hairstylists on campus would benefit from having accessible hair-braiding materials and other hair care to provide services for other students. 

“Most of the responses were [from] people who actively braid hair or do things on campus, like [having] businesses of their own on campus. So it’ll be really, really helpful, just because I personally braid on campus. And I need products for my clients and I have to order them, and I have to do all these things, and it’s just more accessible for them,” she said. “And also, too, it creates more community on campus.”

Black students made up 5% of the undergraduate population over the 2023-24 academic year. In order to build community on campus and help meet the needs of students, Scott stressed the importance of accessible hair care at affordable prices and hairstylists on campus for Black students who may not have a car to source services and products. In addition, Scott hopes the pop-up will become a space where students can promote their businesses.

Over the past fall quarter, Scott has been applying for grants for the business and working out the company’s finances as well as other logistics, such as ordering products that will be available at the stand. She has also been sourcing products at wholesale prices. The business’ GoFundMe raised over $1,000, exceeding its $800 goal. Third-year sociology major Love Alexius is the Chief Operating Officer for Crown Collective and has been working on the company’s marketing. 

The first pop-up will be held during the first week of February to coincide with Black History Month and tours for incoming students.

“I want them to see, okay, this is a spot where, you know, Black students can come,” Scott said. “[The pop-up] is just to make it more accessible.” 

Scott hopes to eventually expand the pop-up downtown for Santa Barbara City College students, offering free food during these events to foster a greater sense of community. 

“I feel like, with any community, but especially the Black community, you bring community by breaking the bread with one another,” she said. “Regardless if you have curly hair or wavy hair or locks or whatever it is, it’s just such a part of our identity, and so we’re kings and queens with our hair.” 

A version of this article appeared on p.4 of the Jan. 16, 2025 edition of the Daily Nexus.

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Michelle Cisneros
Michelle Cisneros (she/her) is the Community Outreach News Editor for the 2024-25 school year. Previously, Cisneros was the Assistant News Editor for the 2023-24 school year. She can be reached at michellecisneros@dailynexus.com or news@dailynexus.com.