Sevenoaks-based entrepreneur Danielle Obe, founder of Obé, has launched a unique line of waterproof headscarves specially designed for textured hair to empower people of African, Caribbean and Asian heritage to have confidence and protection when in, on and around water.
According to the latest Sport England stats, 97% of Black adults and 82% of Black children in the UK do not swim. That does not mean they can’t swim; rather, they just aren’t in the water.
Black Swimming Association (BSA) research cites the cost of equipment, swimming lessons, transport, locations and accessibility as major contributing factors. Furthermore, the largest barrier to participation for people of African, Caribbean and Asian heritage was concern over their hair as haircare can be very expensive – whether it’s maintaining, styling or protecting.
Textured hair is more susceptible to long-term damage from the chemicals used in swimming pools. Prolonged contact can cause the hair to become dry and brittle, leading to breakage. The time, effort and cost it takes to treat and style hair after swimming can be a particular deterrent.
Equally, people of colour do not swim due to a lack of representation, inherited fears of drowning, negative early experiences and a lack of water safety awareness and aquatic skills.
As founder of Obé, Danielle seeks to change this because having confidence and knowledge when in, on or around water is proven to save lives.
Obé began as a promise from a mother to a daughter. After an incident involving a swim cap unsuitable for textured hair, resulting in a lot of tears, when her daughter Kayla was just four, Danielle vowed to find a solution that would make Kayla feel empowered and unafraid of water. Seven years later, that promise has evolved into Danielle’s life’s work.
After spending months researching swim caps and working with focus groups to understand the challenges they had faced from using them, it was clear to Danielle that swim caps were never designed with textured hair in mind. Nor were they even designed to keep hair dry.
It was like a light bulb moment. Hair wraps! Wrapping hair is a cultural practice among people of African, Caribbean and Asian descent – a tradition that, if revolutionised, could protect hair from water whilst looking and feeling good.
Danielle launched Obé under Nemes in early 2019, before being let down by the factory, which took her investment and created products that resembled nothing of the design she had spent months curating.
After personally contacting everyone who had pre-ordered the product, she received over 20,000 emails from customers all over the globe who showed their unwavering support for Danielle’s mission.
A year later, she received a life-changing message from a manufacturing partner, Justgood, which believed in what she was trying to do and wanted to help her achieve what she had set out to do before.
With the help of Justgood, Danielle embarked on creating the perfect material. It needed to be waterproof but behave like fabric to be comfortable, functional and available to everyone.
Enter Obé, the further improved, stylish, waterproof headscarves designed to meet the needs of people of colour to help them find their place in the water.
Obé’s headscarf is waterproof and hypoallergenic (no traces of latex). Designed to behave like fabric, the headscarf is not pre-tied, allowing wearers to control the fit and comfort. Made of thin, stretchy and durable material, this comfortable and versatile headscarf protects hair and prevents damage to the hairline.
The headscarf is available in black, raspberry or mocha and has two shape options to suit the wearer’s personal style preferences.
The brand officially launched on 15 July, with products available for pre-order directly from the Obé website now.
Danielle said: “There are many barriers to people with textured hair participating in aquatics. Organisations such as the BSA are working hard to make swimming more accessible for all.
“But there is one specific obstacle that Obé aims to tackle. A big barrier that impacts me, my daughter, and many others I have found on this journey is our hair.
“Being able to swim and having water safety knowledge are more than just life skills – they are basic human rights.
“At Obé, we believe in empowering communities and creating opportunities to embrace being in, on or around water.
“Without fear, without upset, without worry, just rejuvenated peace. Through Obé, we want to give others the courage to find their place in the water.”
