’Fro the win: veteran record star and natural hair champion crowned a GWR ICON
To hold any world record for 15 years is no mean feat. It’s even more special when that record forms an intrinsic part of your body and identity.
This is just one of the reasons that Aevin Dugas (USA) – a proud Louisianian and the female holder of the largest afro almost continuously since 2010 – has been inducted as a GWR ICON in the latest GWR book, which launched last month.
And what better day to announce this ICONic news than on World Afro Day (15 September)? This global celebration of Afro hair, established in the UK in 2017, is part of a year-round campaign to call out and counter hair discrimination.
The founder of World Afro Day, Michelle De Leon, told GWR: “We love that Aevin Dugas is becoming a GWR ICON on World Afro Day because she is so passionate about Afro hair, and even though she has very long luscious locks, she often chooses to wear it in a statement Afro.
“A win for her is a win for everyone that wants our hair in its natural state to be celebrated.”
Aevin – who is the head of operations at an organization for women with intellectual difficulties – first entered GWR’s orbit thanks in part to her beloved younger sister, Sarah. It was after her sibling posted some photos of Aevin online that a friend commented that her afro may have superlative potential… When GWR saw media reports about Aevin, our researchers reached out, and the rest as they say is history.
The record potential became a reality in October 2010 when measurements were taken at a salon in New Orleans: 18.5 cm (7.3 in) high, 19.6 cm (7.7 in) wide and 132.1 cm (4 ft 4 in) in circumference. It was official: Aevin had the world’s largest afro!
Being named an ICON by Guinness World Records makes me feel like I’m leaving a little piece of history – or should I say hairstory – in this world, something that will be recognized for ever. I’m not only excited, but forever grateful for the opportunity to spread the message of self-love to Black girls, women and anyone else who needs to hear it. Because everyone – no matter who they are – has the right to feel beautiful, inside and out – Aevin Dugas, holder of the largest afro and now GWR ICON
What made the record recognition even more meaningful to Aevin in 2010 is that for much of her young life, she had resisted letting her hair grow naturally, instead following an intense – and often damaging – regimen to keep it straight.
But that all changed abruptly one day when she was in her mid-20s: “I woke up one morning questioning why I had to straighten my hair permanently. Why the chemicals, why is this necessary? Why does my texture have to be hidden?”
She continued: “I didn’t decide to grow an afro as much as I decided to go natural.”
It was a turning point in her life at which she received a great deal of support from family – particularly her mother, Deborah, grandmother Louise E Banks – both of whom had proudly rocked their own ’fros for periods of their own lives – as well as her father, Rodney, and sister, Sarah.
Not surprisingly, Aevin often gets asked for advice about how she cares for her hair – and as time has gone on, she has come to increasingly appreciate the words of wisdom her female role models once imparted to her. “My biggest tip used to be patience; my new tip is ‘leave your hair alone’. Of course, things like hot oil treatment, shampoo, conditioner etc are important, but try to find a style where you don’t touch, detangle or manipulate your hair daily.
“My mama used to tell me all the time ‘Keep ya hands out ya head’, and it turns out she and my grandma were right!”
Aevin would hold the title of largest afro for nearly 10 years, before a brief interlude when the record fell to Simone Williams (USA). The New Yorker’s ’fro was verified to be 20.5 cm (8.07 in) tall and 1.48 m (4 ft 10 in) around on 15 February 2020.
Some may have found it hard to be dispossessed of their record status after such a long stint, but Aevin is keen to point out that the last thing she felt was aggrieved: “Honestly I was so proud to see Simone loving her hair, it didn’t bother me one bit. There were people on social media who were comparing her to me and I shut them down immediately because I wanted her to have her moment.”
That said, as things transpired, it wasn’t to be the end of Aevin’s GWR journey. Almost exactly a year later, she decided to grow out her afro and have it remeasured on the off-chance she might reclaim her crown. With final dimensions of 24 cm (9.45 in) tall and 157 cm (5 ft 1.8 in) around, her efforts paid off.
“I never thought I’d last this long so to still even be able to grow it out more was an absolute gift,” Aevin recalls. “I felt bad when I took the title back [from Simone], but for personal reasons, I knew I still had work to do.”
Confident that her afro had even more to give, Aevin most recently had her voluminous hairdo assessed in September 2022, where it registered a height of 25 cm (9.8 in) and a whopping circumference of 165 cm (5 ft 4.9 in) – making it the largest afro that GWR has ever ratified in its 70-year history.
It’s not only Aevin’s long tenure in the record books that assured her selection as an ICON – GWR’s highest accolade – though: it’s just as much about how she has used her platform to become a vocal ambassador for natural hair, promoting body positivity and self-acceptance.
Whether doing interviews for TV and magazines, giving talks at conferences and expos or sharing her latest hairstyle online (her afro isn’t something “you wear out in the Louisiana heat” often, she told us, plus “I don’t want to get my hair in people’s faces” in crowded places), Aevin’s abiding tenet is simple: your hair, your way.
“I want to inspire others first by telling people, go after what you want. I never spoke on this before, but the GWR title was my first time going after something I truly wanted. I almost didn’t do it because I got nervous and was afraid of what people might say. Once I pushed that fear aside, I prayed about it and went for it.
“I knew earning this record title wasn’t just for accolades. I had a message, especially for little Black girls. I wanted them to know how naturally beautiful they were with all their natural features.”
Others appreciating [my afro] was a lagniappe [bonus] for me. It was the lesson of loving self being spread that made my ’fro stand high – Aevin Dugas
In recent years, Aevin notes that she’s definitely noticed that the proliferation of social media has had an impact on how younger Black women are choosing to wear their hair: “I spoke at a high school two years ago and most of the young girls still had relaxers; I went back this year and only one girl did.
“Whether the message came from me, by way of me or from someone completely different, I know that my record title had something to do with changing the world’s view of natural hair. Especially the afro, which at one time was a beautiful misunderstood style that some said stood for rebellion when in actuality it stood for freedom to just be.”
No matter what, I will always push love of self and be there to help anyone see their beauty. As far as the naysayers, they can ‘Kiss My Afro’ – Aevin Dugas
Over the many years that she has been a member of the GWR family, Aevin’s been delighted to make the acquaintance of several other record holders whose physical attributes also earned them their spot in the record-breaking annals.
These include Kazuhiro Watanabe (Japan), whose hair at the time – like Aevin’s – was a cut above the rest. His 123-cm (4-ft) spiky ’do made its point in 2014 and was verified as the world’s tallest Mohican. (He has since lost his title to the USA’s Joseph Grisamore whose hair spike topped out at 129.4 cm, or 4 ft 2 in, in 2021.)
She’s also spent some time with Jyoti Amge (India) – the world’s shortest woman, at 62.8 cm (2 ft 0.7 in) tall. Like Aevin, Jyoti – who donned her own mini afro wig for a fun photo with Aevin in her honour – is herself a GWR ICON and long-established record holder having initially claimed the title of shortest female teen in 2009.
Aevin is one of eight inspiring record breakers to have most recently been bestowed ICON status in the GWR 2027 book – discover who else has received the honour to date here.