“Aside from being such a breathtaking representation of Black Girl Magic, the song and the video are a reminder that the natural hair movement is only growing. But based on her thriving business, Mathé already knew that.

‘Head wraps have always been a staple and an incredibly powerful statement and accessory,’ she tells ESSENCE. ‘We’ve had customers get married and give birth in our head wraps. We’ve had doctors walk into their offices in our head wraps. We’ve also had lawyers wear our head wraps to court. We’ve had incredible artists perform and walk the red carpet in our head wraps.’” Read full article at ESSENCE.

Q&A with Paola

What made you want to partner with S.O. for the "Headwrap Diaries" video?

As soon as I heard the song, I wanted to be involved. I didn't want Fanm Djanm to just be the sponsor. I wanted to bring the words to life. I felt like he was speaking to me and maybe even my audience. It felt like an anthem. A song you play to get ready to go out. A song you play while taking a bath. A song you play while watering your plants and watching your toddler try to stuff as many dolls into one basket. A song you play to release.

Does the song's message complement the message of the Fanm Djanm brand?

Everything about the song represents Fanm Djanm, which is why I jumped at the opportunity. It felt like a dream come true.

How would you describe the video?

The video is an ode to black love, black joy, and black excellence. The colors were all intentional. I loved putting together all the scenes based on a color palette and what the different characters meant. I wanted to show all types of beauty and strength. It was important for me to show different generations, skin tones, and afro hair texture in such a beautiful, natural way. Community and sisterhood was also a big focus. In three words, I'd describe it as natural, colorful, and timeless. What makes me incredibly happy was hiring and partnering with other black creatives (film crew, makeup artist, stylist) for this video. The clothes were from black-owned brands. The art was from several black artists. Even the house we shot in belongs to a black artist in Brooklyn. 

How does it feel to be making your directorial debut?

It's unbelievable. I felt like I took the craziest crash course into the world of filmmaking. I'm grateful I was given the opportunity. It has awakened many things about me I didn't know existed. 

Director - Paola Mathé, Director of Photography/Editor - Jonathan-Dexter, Albert Stylist - Al Malonga, Lead Makeup Artist - Kilani L. Makeup Artist - Jade Stanton, Production Assistant - Kristia Tolode, Production Assistant - Charles Dieujuste, Production Assistant - Renee Blair, MODEL - Tatyana Cooper, MODEL - Diandra Forrest, MODEL - Aluoch Catherine, DANCER - Sadale Warne.