PORTLAND, Oregon — When Hanna Steigman was growing up in Central Oregon, her white adoptive mother did everything she could to learn how to care for her Black daughter’s hair — asking questions, seeking out resources and largely figuring it out on her own. That experience became the foundation for everything Steigman has built since.

Steigman, an educator, mother of twins and transracial adoptee who came to Oregon from Liberia, founded HairSpiracy to create the space her family never had — an accessible, welcoming and joyful community built around learning and celebrating textured and natural hair. KGW first covered HairSpiracy in April 2025. Now, the organization is back with its latest event: “The Hair Collection,” taking place Saturday at Kinship in Southeast Portland.

“My mom learned how to do my hair by asking questions,” Steigman told KGW. “There wasn’t a lot of things out there for her. So, I just thought it’d be really nice to create a space where people can come learn and just have fun as well.”

Part museum exhibit, part seasonal runway showcase and part community gathering, “The Hair Collection” is designed to be a full sensory celebration of Black hair as a living art form. Featured hairstylists, designers and models will present spring and summer hairstyles — including finger waves, braids and sculptural runway hair inspired by both classic and modern hair artistry. Attendees can watch local stylists demonstrate seasonal techniques and creative expression live, shop local vendors offering hair, beauty and creative goods, and take in a display of art, style and hair where beauty, creativity and culture come together. DJ OG Too will keep the energy going throughout the night, alongside food and complimentary champagne.

Angie Parker, HairSpiracy’s lead educator and a Portland native who recently returned to Oregon after time in Georgia, described what attendees can expect when they walk through the door.

“Hair will be one of the main exhibits to where people will be getting their hair done,” Parker told KGW. “There’ll be a space where they can hear about education on finger waves and box braids. But overall, it is an exhibit — it’s a collection of art in general.”

Steigman said she curates her vendor spaces carefully, prioritizing people who are personally connected to the products and communities they represent. She compared the event’s purpose to New York Fashion Week — a place to discover what is next, connect with local talent and leave inspired heading into spring and summer.

“If you go to New York Fashion Week, you’re going for the newest designers, for the newest styles for the next season,” she said. “So that’s kind of what I want people to leave feeling.”

Parker added that the event is intentionally open and welcoming to everyone. “I want them to come and understand that it’s just beyond even a Black community,” she said. “What they’ll walk away feeling and gaining is a sense of community and an understanding of hair, artists and just one another.”

For both women, framing hair as art goes far deeper than aesthetics. It is a statement about identity, history and a cultural practice that has not always been given the respect it deserves.

“Although we’ve had to go through different struggles having the art of our hair and our styles respected, at this point in time, there is a confidence and an appreciation of it — and that’s exactly how we want to put it on display,” Parker said. “Black art at a museum. Something to be celebrated.”

Steigman said the connection between hair and identity has played out across her own life in deeply personal ways. “I think our hair does tell a story at different points of our lives,” she said. “I’ve chopped off my hair and that was a freedom of expression for myself at one point. Even the braiding itself has a lot of different parts of culture.”

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HairSpiracy’s return comes at a moment when that cultural practice is under a national spotlight for reasons beyond style. A February 2026 Consumer Reports investigation found heavy metals and cancer-linked chemicals in 29 of 30 braiding hair products tested — findings that have left Black communities across the country grappling with difficult questions about the safety of products woven into their daily lives. Parker said the findings were not surprising — and they underscore exactly why spaces like HairSpiracy matter.

“A lot of communities have no clue,” Parker said. “That’s why spaces where people can come together, learn and ask questions matter.”

Steigman said HairSpiracy has always been deliberate about the vendors and products it brings into its events — prioritizing people who actually use and understand the products they sell.

“People that are creating a lot of these products are not using them,” she said. “So with HairSpiracy, I do try to bring people in that do make products themselves.”

Both women closed with a direct call to the community to come out and support.

“I want people leaving feeling happy,” Steigman said. “Come enjoy together in the celebration, but also leave with some knowledge.”

“A lot of people may complain that there aren’t things to do — this is a space where everyone can feel safe,” Parker added. “It’s just really time to start rallying behind people that put their visions into action. If you can’t come, buy a ticket or two for someone else.”

HairSpiracy’s “The Hair Collection” takes place Saturday, April 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Kinship located at 1121 Southeast 2nd Avenue in Portland. The show begins at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit HairSpiracy’s website.