This New “Waves” Photo Book Will Keep Your Coffee Table On Swim
Maclean Jackson and Stephen K. Schuster celebrate the culture found beneath the du-rag.
Like a couple different early aughts style staples and aesthetic cues, the du-rag is enjoying a bit of a resurgence this year, from Spooky Black proudly sporting the headwear in his "Without You" video, to high fashion models "utilizing du-rags backstage" at Derek Lam's NYFW showing last week. Ironically hot or not, the du-rag has been around for ages: according to Wikipedia, 19th-century Ethiopian soldiers let their capes fly before heading into battle. In their new coffee-table book "Waves," Maclean Jackson and Stephen K. Schuster celebrate the contemporary history and culture found behind (or beneath) these stretches of nylon and knot, showcasing street-casted wave photography and interviewing friends and strangers about their own hair care rituals.
"From the beginning of the project, the most important thing to us was making something that wavers and people who know about waves really loved," Jackson explains. "Something beautiful, engaging and crazy that celebrates them in an unexpected and fun, but respectful way." For the uninitiated, "waves" are the recurring fine-curled pattern that rises from a caesar haircut after hours of meticulous brushing, moisturizing, and setting under a du-rag. For countless young black males, it's a badge of honor--notable wavers include Ma$e, Meek Mill, Joe Johnson, Lebron James, and Barack Obama. "Sitting on the computer, I'm brushing. Watching TV, I'm brushing. Playing NBA 2K12, I don't play defense, I'm brushing," one waver explains in the short film produced to accompany the book. "Waves open doors to opportunities." The book is available online now, and comes packaged with limited edition du-rags, so you can step your own wave game up after gathering some inspiration.