EVOLVher Spotlight: Meet Darryl Avery

We are honoring Black History Month by highlighting some of the incredible Black creators in our community who are using their platforms to make an impact and inspire and empower others.

Meet Darryl Avery a natural haircare creator, DevOps engineer, athlete, and entrepreneur. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and share more about Darryl's story. Follow Darryl @djovon

We're grateful for the opportunity to learn more about you and to introduce you to our community if they aren't already following you. Could you share a little more about yourself?
My name is Darryl Avery, and I am based in Atlanta, GA. Although I have lived here my whole life, I did go to school at Dartmouth College so I got to experience New Hampshire as well, which I miss! My hobbies include natural hair research (of course haha), playing video games, and also working out, I love to lift and play sports!

Are you a full-time hair creator? If not, what else do you do?
I am currently not a full time creator, but that is eventually the goal! I am currently working as a DevOps Engineer!

What is your hair type?
I have low porosity type 4b hair!

We’d love to know more about your journey of learning to care for your natural curly hair. What inspired you to start sharing your journey?
Growing up, I was never able to grow my hair out, and it was something that I always wanted to do. Unfortunately, for most of my life, since I played football, I decided to keep it short, since I was always in a helmet. In college, while still playing football, I became very interested in natural hair research, but first to understand how to get the best waves I possibly could. This research then turned into me deciding after I graduated to finally grow my hair and figure out what works best for keeping it healthy, and i've been growing it ever since!

We love seeing how much you experiment and try different hairstyles! Do you have a personal favorite?
I have to say that as of right now, my personal favorite is cornrows! Just the different ways they can be done, and also its connection to black history make it one of my favorites.

Do you have any plans to release new drops of your silk hoodies? We would love to learn more about what inspired you to create them.
I actually am in the process of planning a release for fall/winter of 2024! I took a step back to focus on creating a strong foundation for my career, and I am also recently got engaged, so I've had a lot of exciting distractions from creating the hoodies. The winter 2024 release will mark the beginning of a consistent hoodie releases. In terms of how I started, I have always loved wearing hoodies and comfortable clothing. When I had waves in college, I made and wore durags to keep them covered as well as laid down, and one day on Instagram I saw that someone made a silk lined hoodie. I ordered with extreme excitement, but when I received it, it did not live up to my expectations. The quality was not good at all, the hoodie was not comfortable, and the silk was actually satin. That day I decided that I needed to make my own if I wanted it to actually have the hoodie I dreamed of, and the rest is history.

In honor of Black History Month, do you have any favorite books, movies, or other mediums for those who want to learn more about Black History?
I would recommend Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me. It offers valuable insight into the realities of being black in the United States and the associated challenges.

Last, but not least! Do you have a favorite EVOLVh product(s)?
My favorite EVOLVh products are the SmartCurl Shampoo and Conditioner. Using it makes my hair feel very clean, and provides lasting hydration through the week!