For Refinery29, L’Oréal Blackett showcased photos from the 2000s depicting Black British culture in all its stylistic splendour:
I know. The early noughties doesn’t feel that long ago, does it? Yet, as the 1990s have been gradually released from pop culture’s nostalgia grip, many have been heralding the early ’00s and its defining style and cultural impact (the best, worst and once forgotten). For Black British millennial women, the 2000s offer a time capsule to when young, Black, British female celebrities — from T4’s June Sarpong to songstress Jamelia — became much more visible, guiding us into early adulthood.
I was a teenager in the 2000s and I remember that period fondly as a Black child. The summers were amazing, the music was amazing, and everything was cooler. Black joy was a priority (even though I hated high school) and I enjoyed engaging with Black British culture as much as I could. So Solid Crew, Lemar, Miss Dynamite, Jamelia, Misteeq, baby hairs, incredible plaits, getting a fresh cut and hopping into my sister’s Renault Clio on the way home with Lisa Maffia blasting on the stereo. Uh, what a time!