March 9, 2026
The Doux Honors International Women’s Day With ‘Our Kind Of Women’ Photo Exhibit In Atlanta
The "Our Kind of Women" exhibit portrays Black womanhood in its strength and beauty.
Black-owned haircare brand The Doux celebrated International Women’s Day with a new photography exhibit focused on Black womanhood.
The “Our Kind of Women” exhibit, which took place March 8, celebrated Black women over 40 for “boldly defining radiance, power, and purpose on their own terms,” a press release read. Combining a gallery exhibit with a “cultural storytelling experience,” the event brought together women and local leaders across Atlanta for its empowering message.
The Doux’s founders, Maya and Brian Smith, collaborated with actor, director, and philanthropist, Terri J. Vaughn, to develop this female-focused celebration. However, “Our Kind Of Women” initially came to life through visual storyteller Bessie Akuba Winn.
The ongoing photography series and upcoming coffee table book is a visual triumph and testimony to Black women’s livelihoods. As Vaughn and Maya Smith became participants in this community movement, the latter wanted to find an additional avenue to showcase this profound work.
To do so, The Doux partnered with Our Kind Of Women as the two entities find common ground in Black women’s upliftment and care. With the gallery’s opening, Winn spoke about the deeper connection between Black women and the spaces in which they care for one another.
“Maya Smith, the co-founder and CEO of our presenting sponsor, The Doux, talked about this in her feature,” explained Winn. ” She said that beauty salons were one of the first places that black women learned how to care for each other, how to gather, and how to show up for one another. And that’s real.”
She added, “It makes perfect sense that The Doux is aligned with Our Kind of Women, because what they represent and who they represent and stand for, is the same spirit behind this entire project. Women who came up in spaces that shaped us, [and] women whose experiences laid the foundation for how we evolve, how we lead and how we show up in the world.”
The partnership led to featured attendees, including Georgia gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, speaking on the importance of uplifting women no matter their age or background.
Smith also shared how this event “felt familiar,” especially as it speaks to this demographic’s representation and recognition. As a champion of Black women’s hair and holistic health, Smith hopes to inspire others to see their beauty in all forms.
“When I first saw this project, it felt familiar to me,” said Maya Smith, co-founder and CEO of The Doux. “It’s about Black women being seen where we are right now in our lives. So many of us over 40 are still building, still creating, still evolving. We don’t age out of relevance. We grow into ourselves. Supporting Bessie and Our Kind of Women felt natural because it reflects the kind of visibility and representation we truly believe in here at The Doux.”
While primarily an International Women’s Day event, the exhibit left a long-lasting message that Black women deserve to feel seen.
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