Newly natural, Boho Locs founder Lulu Pierre was in search of a protective style that was both stylish and comfortable. Formerly a salon owner and stylist, she was inspired by the dreadlocks worn by her mother and sisters but wanted something that was quicker to install. This led her to create Boho Locs, a high-quality, handmade brand of locs that come in an array of colors and styles.

We spoke to Pierre about how her business has exploded over the past few years, the many ways to style your Boho Locs, and the exciting new styles arriving this summer.

Why did you decide to launch Boho Locs?

Lulu Pierre: I founded it five years ago, the brand was born out of a natural frustration. I was wearing my hair natural but wasn’t really acclimated on how to wear it and get the best out of it. I did a Brazilian blow-dry treatment which on European hair makes it straight but on my hair type loosens the texture. I did it once, and my hair looked great. However, the second time I did it, my hair broke off and I needed a protective style. My mom has dreadlocks and so did my sisters, which inspired me to do individual faux locs which take about eight to 12 hours to install. I wanted to get that stunning natural look but condense the installation process. This led me to create my own crochet locs.

Can you walk me through the various styles you have at Boho Locs?

We have 85 styles and color combinations that don’t exist elsewhere. I do all of the color development manually, with a variety of colors and tones. Some of our locs feature a blend of colors, we have some triple tones and some locs even have a total of seven colors. What differentiates us as a brand is that we’re based off of real locs and color combinations, trying to make them work for different melanin skin tones.

How do you install Boho Locs?

They are crochet locs so they have a loop on one end. They’re pre-looped crochet locs and you apply them to a cane-row base. You moisturize and prep your hair, then you do a braid pattern that’s eight braids in a cornrow-style, straight back and joined up. Then you do 12 individual braids in the front hairline. To install the Boho Locs you use a crochet hook tool and thread the tool under the cornrow to latch onto the loc. Then you pull it through the cane-row and loop it back onto itself and it’s secured. It’s quite quick to get them on. On the individual braids, you do the same action but tuck the natural hair in the middle of the loc.

What hair textures are most compatible with Boho Locs?

It works better with curlier hair because you need to braid the base and keep it secure for the duration of time that you’re wearing the style. We have customers who have loose waves and curls to customers who have really tight curls. As long as your hair can hold a braided style, I think you can wear the product.

How long do Boho Locs last?

We recommend wearing them for 12 weeks at a time. It’s important to think about your natural hair in the process, a lot of customers will use a water-based moisturizing spray or make their own, with some water with oil or scent they like. You can use an oil on your scalp too to keep it healthy. The locs themselves are a very low maintenance style, a lot of people wear them in a low ponytail at night. You can wash and swim in them, just put a little conditioner in them and let them air dry.

Can you tell me about your most popular Boho Locs styles?

Our number #1 style is Bey Blonde Bronde, it’s a two-color pack, made up of a brown dirty blonde, inspired by Beyoncé and the other is a blonde and brown shade combined. It’s our bestseller and really good for the summer. Last summer we brought out a color called ‘Lit’ which has starts as a honey/toffee brown then turns into a caramel and ends with platinum. Our Jet Black is super popular, as it goes with everything. We also have fun colors like purple, and this summer we have some new blonde combinations coming out, a blue and green style.

What are some ways to style Boho Locs?

They are versatile! A popular style is half and half down — you pull it into a half high pony and leave some strands on each side down. You can wear Boho Locs in a bun or to the side, like a waterfall over your face. I also do a coif in the front to have a 1950s style, this looks especially good with the shorter bob locs.

What are some ways to accessorize locs?

Decorating locs is huge and with our Boho Locs the customer gets a free pack of 30 jewels. This includes shells, gold hair ties, gold rings and hoops, and more. We have even more jewels in the summer collection — queen jewels, colors, and African map, for example. I love being able to create and with the jewels you can create a unique look for yourself.

What’s been your growth as a brand?

When I started it was just me, I did everything – modeling, marketing, and customer service. I wore every single hat and now we’re a team of eight. We started with one style and now have close to 90. The business has doubled, and we’re a multimillion business. The journey has been amazing. In the future, I would like to experiment with other styles outside of locs. I would also like to do more pop-ups, we’ve done popups in DC and New Orleans in the past. I would also like to have an augmented reality feature on our site where you get to try the locs on from the comfort of your home.