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Sisters Rachel and Rikki have always been closer than most. Growing up in different households, they spent their time together experimenting with fashion and beauty. Together they built Nappy Head Club, a lifestyle and fashion brand, that celebrates the images of Black women that they didn’t grow up seeing in mainstream media.

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Transcript
00:00Let's keep it real, like, we're sisters.
00:02We have, like, times where we're, like, best friends,
00:05and then we have times where we're like, I can't stand her.
00:07Yeah.
00:11Hi, my name is Rikki.
00:12And I'm Rachel.
00:13We're sisters.
00:14And we founded Nappy Hut Club, which is a lifestyle clothing
00:18brand that affirms Blackness through messages
00:20that celebrate and affirm our identity.
00:22How would you describe our relationship growing up?
00:26Got to spend, like, our summers and holidays together,
00:28and I feel like Dad's house was always, like, so much fun.
00:31I feel like that's where we just, like, let loose
00:33and got into a lot of trouble.
00:35I think one of the things that was, like, a bit challenging
00:37for us growing up was just being, like, half-sisters.
00:41Honestly, it's kind of weird even saying, like, half-sister
00:43because I never call you my half-sister.
00:44You know, we have different mothers.
00:46We have the same father, and it kind of sucks, like,
00:49not growing up in the same house as you.
00:51You know, we didn't get to spend, like, every day together.
00:53I mean, going to school, you know,
00:54when the kids was coming for you, you know.
00:56If you didn't have, like, your sister or that person
00:59that could kind of be there for you in that way,
01:01but if we didn't have, like, those memories growing up,
01:04you know, visiting each other at Dad's house
01:06and our, like, paternal side of the family
01:09and kind of getting together in that way,
01:10I feel like we probably wouldn't even be in this situation.
01:13Like, I feel like we'd be just, like, sick of each other.
01:14Yeah.
01:18What do we have in common?
01:20We literally have so many things in common.
01:22I'm like...
01:23Like, where do we even begin?
01:24I don't know.
01:25One, the fact that we're both Cancers.
01:27Mm-hmm.
01:28We pretty much are the same person.
01:30Like, boom.
01:30Like, literally, look at our rings right now.
01:32Look at the palette.
01:33Look at the palette.
01:34I mean, we both like photography, art, creative direction.
01:38Mm-hmm.
01:38Being the oldest of the whole clan,
01:40I feel a little bit of, like, a pressure to kind of, like,
01:44be responsible or, like, set good examples,
01:46but at the same time, like, also set bad examples.
01:49So, like, don't do that.
01:50Or, like, do it, try it, and then, like, don't do it again.
01:52Yeah.
01:53I have to come to the table a certain way or, like,
01:56make everyone feel like they can trust me or lean on me or, you know.
02:00I feel like I kind of have, like, middle kid syndrome.
02:03They are a middle child.
02:04I've never thought about that.
02:05I've never...
02:06I'm, like, smack dab in the middle.
02:07I feel like I'm just...
02:08That kind of makes me a little bit more reckless.
02:10Yeah.
02:11Because, like...
02:11Okay.
02:12It's always going to work out
02:13because you've got your older sibling who's going to look out for you.
02:15And then you're, like, kind of like the cool older sister to your younger sibling.
02:19So, you know, you kind of got to show out a little bit, you know, act a little edgy for
02:23them, you know.
02:25What was it like when we, like, kind of first started the brand?
02:28In the car, on the PCH, and we're going to do some sister shit.
02:32Malibu.
02:33Going to Malibu to take some pictures.
02:35We had, like, a whole concept and editorial just for fun.
02:38Like, literally just because, like, that's fun.
02:39And we're just, like, talking about our natural hair journeys.
02:41As we were talking, I was thinking about our childhood, right?
02:44Like, we got 4C hair and, like, all the pictures of us, all the, like, cute childhood photos,
02:50our hair is a hot-ass mess.
02:53We were getting called nappy-headed.
02:55We were getting told we were bald-headed and this and that.
02:57And I felt like crap.
02:58And it's just crazy, like, how that sometimes just starts with your own family
03:03as opposed to people outside of the household.
03:06Yeah.
03:06They just say it so casually and they don't even realize that, like, their words are hurting you
03:11or creating this, like, false representation of yourselves.
03:15And then we were like, you know what?
03:17We need to make a club for people like us.
03:19Let's call it, like, the BDB club.
03:21Let's call it the, when my hair gets wet, it shrinks.
03:23The 4C only club.
03:24Let's call it the 4C only club.
03:25Let's go back to the roots.
03:26And then we started the Instagram.
03:32So do you remember how we landed on our name?
03:34So we started out as 4C only club.
03:37People did not know what 4C meant.
03:39Yes.
03:39Y'all not hip.
03:40Yeah.
03:41And then we were, like, doing all these votes and, like, asking our friends and family.
03:45And we were, like, back and forth, back and forth.
03:46Yes.
03:46Obviously the word nappy is, like, very controversial.
03:49And at first I was like, no.
03:51Yeah, you was not with it.
03:51I was not with it.
03:52But I honestly feel like it was the best decision.
03:55Yeah.
03:55What was once used to hurt us were kind of taking and reclaiming and flipping it on its head.
04:00And it's now our power.
04:01Mm-hmm.
04:03Rachel, we have, like, a herd of siblings.
04:07Oh.
04:08Oh.
04:08Why do you think it was just me and you that went to business together?
04:12Obviously, we're closest in age.
04:14And I feel like we were preparing for this business, like, from when we were kids.
04:18And we were literally styling thrifted clothes, putting editorial concepts together.
04:23Like, we were doing all this.
04:26It's so funny that you say that.
04:27At, like, 14.
04:27We really were.
04:28And 15.
04:28Like, I still have those videos on Facebook.
04:30Like, don't look them up.
04:31Oh, my God.
04:31Don't look them up.
04:32Oh, my God.
04:33Why did you even say that?
04:36I really, genuinely, genuinely, even, like, before Nappy Head Club, like, for me,
04:41I had this fire of wanting to build generational wealth.
04:45Mm-hmm.
04:45Like, I had seen where we come from.
04:47I had seen, like, you know, being, like, first, you know, generations to go to college and things
04:51like that.
04:51Like, I had seen where we were coming from.
04:53And I just, like, was really adamant about wanting there to be wealth within our family
04:57and, like, in Black families.
04:58So it feels really good to feel like that the business is creating opportunities for
05:03our family.
05:05We're all eating.
05:05Like, we're all growing and evolving from this thing that we're doing together.
05:09And that, to me, just is, like, heartwarming.
05:14Why do you love me so much the way that you do?
05:18Lay it on me.
05:20Ricky, I love you because you care deeply.
05:24You genuinely put yourself in other people's shoes.
05:27I think that you really put family above yourself sometimes.
05:30And I really admire that.
05:32I feel like you, you know, it's never even a question of, like, who comes first.
05:35It's, like, the family.
05:36Like, I have that trust.
05:37I know I'm not.
05:38Okay.
05:40Listen, I refuse to cry.
05:41I'm not gonna cry.
05:42I'm not gonna cry.
05:43What do you love about me?
05:45I mean, aside from you being, like, one of my biggest inspirations,
05:52you know, I feel like you've always had my back.
05:54Like, no matter what.
05:56Like, even from when we were kids.
05:58Like, you know, I'm sure I was, like, the annoying sister
06:00who just wanted to be up your butt and, like, literally do everything that you do.
06:04But, like, I feel like you've never pushed me away.
06:07It's just that unconditional love and support that you've shared with me my whole life
06:12that just makes our relationship what it is.
06:15And I'm just so appreciative of you.
06:16Aw, I'm appreciative of you, too.
06:18Aw, I love you.
06:19Aw, I love you.
06:20Aw, I love you.
06:20Aw, love you, Ricky.
06:21I love you too.
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