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Watch & Sea Beauty CEO Named Advisor for Curlfest 2026 on July 25

In her role, Adeleye will support brand partnerships, founder engagement, beauty programming and more.

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By: Lianna Albrizio

Associate Editor

Courtney Adeleye, CEO of Watch & Sea Beauty, has been named the Official Beauty Advisor for Curlfest 2026. The event will be held July 25 in New York.

In her role, Adeleye will support brand partnerships, founder engagement, beauty programming and community initiatives surrounding Curlfest 2026. Watch & Sea Beauty will also participate as part of the festival experience.

“Representation isn’t a moment. It’s seeing founders, executives, creators, and brands built by people who look like you,” said Adeleye.

Nearly a decade ago, Adeleye attended Curlfest in the same capacity of The Mane Choice, the haircare brand she scaled to more than $100 million in sales within six years. Adeleye returns to the festival continuing to build the marine-inspired beauty brand that launched in Target in 2025 and has rapidly expanded into more than 3,500 retail locations nationwide, including CVS, Walmart, H-E-B and Meijer.

“I remember standing on that lawn and realizing how powerful it was to see so many women embracing themselves unapologetically,” said Adeleye. “Now my daughters are old enough to truly understand what that representation means. I want them to see founders, executives, creators, and brands built by people who look like them. Those moments shape confidence, identity and possibility.”

The Curly Girl Collective founded Curlfest in 2014 as among the world’s largest natural hair festivals — a cultural celebration centered around textured hair, beauty, self-expression and community. Over the past decade, it has evolved into one of the most recognized beauty festivals in the world, generating more than 8.4 billion media impressions and attracting attendees from more than 40 countries annually.

Curlfeset 2026 will take place Saturday, July 25 at Randall’s Island Park in New York City. Tickets can be purchased on curlfest.com.

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