Reflected Twice: How Women with Curly Hair See Themselves in Private vs. Public Spaces

Have you ever caught yourself reflecting in a public bathroom, public yet the moment feels so private? This is the kind of scared moment we all experience but yet do not recognise. It’s often where we feel our most vulnerable or maybe sometimes insecure, adjusting our curls, smoothing our skin, the moment we align ourselves before we meet what’s on the other side of the door – the world. For women with textured hair, that moment of identity affirmation or rejection is often shaped in the mirror.

It's a moment where we can find ourselves questioning whether our curls are "good enough" or maybe whether they are "too loud" or “frizzy" and need to be "tamed"?

In Her Mirror, Episode 1- Reflected Twice explores this precise moment. In Episode the lead character enters a soft space refreshing her curls away from the noise and distraction of the outside world. Though, what unfolds is not a typical hair moment, but in fact a moment of recognition, the kind that sits the intersection of identity, memory and self-perception.

In the Middle East, similar to the West, beauty norms have historically leaned towards smooth, sleek hair the standard. It’s easy to understand why these private moments for a woman with curly hair carry even more significance. We explore this deeper in our recent feature [ Curly Hair in the Modern Arab World: Are Perceptions Shifting? ]

The Private Self vs The Public Self

The title of Episode 1 – Reflected Twice stems from the knowledge that every woman carries two versions of herself:

The private self, shaped by quiet and intimate thoughts, wrapped in the routine of life and everyday reflections

The public self, shaped by societal views, expectations and standards.

For women with curly hair the shift between these two forms of self can be quite profound.

In private, curls are glossy, fluid, a form of self-expression and individuality.

In public, curls are not part of the uniform, they are measured, questioned or misunderstood.

Episode 1, captures this duality in its truest form. An ordinary bathroom reflection becomes a statement about how representation shapes confidence. 

The Unexpected Moment of Recognition of Curly Hair

This frame of encounter anchors the entire episode, the moment another curly girl wearing a hijab emerges from the cubicle. Even without her curls being visible , there's an instant recognition: the act of a curl refresh and the scent that clean, natural curly hair products tend to contain.

“That’s why curly girls always smell so good."

It’s light, unexpected but says everything. Why? In that split second, two women recognised each other not just as strangers but as mirrors. The mirror moment was no longer a solo one, the second curly girl acts a metaphor and symbol of validation.

This is representation in its rawest form: one woman noticing what it is often overlooked. This is the why behind In Her Mirror.

A quiet mirror moment captured in real time - a reflection seen twice.

Why this moment matters in the Middle East

In a region where curly and textured hair is slowly gaining visibility but is still underrepresented, everyday encounters like this hold power. They serve as a reminder that:

•          Curly hair is not a trend
•          It isn’t a “tough or unmanageable” hair type
•          It is deeply rooted in identity, lineage and culture
•          It is not an afterthought

Episode 1 doesn’t lecture or over explain but instead, it lets the moments we all understand but often overlook, linger, allowing viewers to see what is often unseen: a shared language between curly haired girls and women.

This is the language of nodes, glances, smiles, borrowed curly hair products, compliments and a knowing sense of sisterhood or womanhood that forms in the most unexpected places.

What In Her Mirror is Really About

Episode 1 of In Her Mirror isn’t just the beginning of a quick series, it’s the beginning of something bigger – a shift, a movement, a reshaping of perception.
In Her Mirror is the first storytelling series rooted in the region that amplifies the voice of curly hair women and children, not as a trend or beauty challenge, but as lived experience shaped by:

• Identity
• Heritage
• Climate
• Representation
• Emotion
• Private defining moments

By capturing a scene as two women meeting in a bathroom, we open a wider conversation about what curly hair symbolising in the Middle East today.
Each episode in the series is short by layered, simple yet meaningful, quiet yet deeply resonate.

This series is not about trends, keeping up with a platform algorithm. It’s a series produced to capture real thoughts, real perceptions and real issues, beauty through unfiltered lens. Episode 1 is about seeing yourself reflected twice: in the mirror and in someone else’s eyes.

Watch Episode 1 – Reflected Twice

Shot entirely in Dubai at The Bureau, Opera Grand, Reflected Twice sets the tone for a movement were building and leading, curl stories today with intimacy cultural depth and emotional accuracy. [ Watch Episode 1 on Instagram or YouTube]

About In Her Mirror 

In Her Mirror is an editorial storytelling series by Emerson – the Middle East’s first curl lifestyle destination – which explores how women with curly, textured hair see themselves in private, with a spotlight on that internal monologue that often causes us to second guess our curls. Shot in Dubai, the series captures identity, representation and the evolving narrative around curly hair and curl culture more broadly in the region.