On one hand, the volcanic landscapes of Réunion Island. On the other, the cultural richness of the African continent. Between these two geographical areas, the historical ties are still too often overlooked in public discourse on Réunion.
Florence Prévot has made this reconnection her personal and professional guiding principle. Refusing to limit herself to a single field, the thirty-something combines sculptural hairstyling for film sets with directing a multidisciplinary festival and organizing immersive travel experiences.
How the Call of Art Took Precedence Over the Banking Routine
Nothing in the early years of her adult life foreshadowed a career as an independent artist. After a teenage years spent immersed in theater and dance, Florence left Réunion at the age of eighteen for Paris.
Faced with the harsh realities of city life, she initially turned to the restaurant industry, where she worked for nearly ten years. As the mother of a young daughter, she then decided to return to school to secure her future. She earned a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree in human resources and management.
She then joined the banking sector as a sales consultant:
- There, she learned the ins and outs of numbers, how to negotiate under pressure, and the importance of customer service.
- Yet she felt a deep sense of emptiness in the face of a daily routine filled with screens and processes that were disconnected from her sensibilities.
- In 2018, she decided to return to Réunion to reinvent herself without worrying about what others might think.
Back on her home island, her loved ones spontaneously reminded her of her gift for braiding. The artist picked up her comb again, experimented with new techniques, and transformed an informal practice into a visual signature.
Why Afro hairstyling Deserves to Be Recognized as an Art Form
Very quickly, Florence refused to limit her work to utilitarian salon braiding. She views curly hair as a sculptural, living, and narrative material.
To add volume and defy gravity, she doesn’t hesitate to insert wire into the braids and create bold hairstyles:
- She collaborates with artists on music video shoots, television series, and feature films shot in Réunion.
- She travels to Paris to assist leading hairstylists such as Air Poète on major tours, notably for Lauryn Hill.
- Starting in 2022, she will create her own independent fashion shows in Réunion to put textured hair front and center on the runway without waiting for validation from traditional Fashion Weeks.
The designer laments the glaring shortage of qualified professionals to style the hair of Black and mixed-race models on French film sets. For Florence, Afro hairstyling deserves the same status as a fine art and the same production budgets as high-end makeup.
When the Afro Cultures Festival Brings Together Fashion, Dance, and Music
The energy generated around the hair initiative naturally gave rise to a larger project. Together with her organization, Florence launched the first official edition of the Festival of Afro Cultures in Saint-Benoît, with the support of local stakeholders.
The event brings together several complementary artistic disciplines in a single day:
- Fashion shows where designers of African descent unveil outfits complemented by custom-made, sculptural hairstyles.
- A technically sophisticated Afro dance battle, providing a platform for dancers often overlooked by institutional circuits.
- Live concerts blending traditional Malagasy and Comorian sounds, eclectic DJ sets, and amapiano beats from South Africa.
This inaugural edition demonstrated the appetite of Réunion’s youth for uninhibited cultural offerings. Florence is now preparing to scale up the event by 2028, with the goal of inviting artists from across the Indian Ocean and the African continent.
Made with Africa: The Art of Traveling to the Continent Without Filters
Alongside her theater projects, Florence Prévot is tackling another frontier: that of travel. Noting that people from Réunion travel en masse to the West, Thailand, or Mauritius while ignoring nearby Africa, she founded Made with Africa (MWA).
The initiative stems from a deep love for South Africa, which is just a four-hour direct flight from Saint-Denis:
- Supporting travelers from Réunion and mainland France with practical guides and customized trips.
- Partnering with trusted local operators in Johannesburg and Cape Town to ensure safe, enjoyable, and authentic experiences.
- Dispel irrational fears and persistent prejudices about safety through an educational approach based on respect and humility.
- Provide accessible travel journals to encourage travelers to set out on their own.
For Florence, experiencing the continent firsthand forever changes one’s perspective on oneself. As they explore South African fabric markets and interact with locals, travelers discover a vibrant, creative modernity far removed from the usual clichés.
Learning to Slow Down to Ensure the Long-Term Success of Every Business
Having long lived at a breakneck pace, Florence Prévot has gained valuable insights into the role of a business leader.
With the support of partners and mentors in the tourism industry, she is learning how to organize each division to avoid operational burnout:
- Strengthen Made with Africa’s team and digital platform before adding new destinations on the continent.
- Postpone the schedule for the fashion shows and the festival to allow time for regional partnerships to develop.
- Maintain the independence of her artistic creativity by relying on regular income from her travel activities.
By bridging hair design, the live performance scene, and immersive tourism, Florence Prévot builds an essential connection. From Réunion, she powerfully reminds us that cultural pride is enriched when it is willing to cross oceans to embrace the land of its ancestors.
