‘The Renaissance of U’ — The Black Beauty Event Taking Over A D.C. Landmark

Studio AAIM is putting on an immersive celebration of art, beauty, and culture in the nation’s capital — celebrating Black artistry to benefit the next generation of beauty professionals.

Oct 2, 2026 - 15:38

‘The Renaissance of U’ — The Black Beauty Event Taking Over A D.C. Landmark

Studio AAIM Beauty Innovators Summit 2026 — Source: HelloBeautiful

This Oct. 29, Black artistry shines at Studio AAIM: The Renaissance of U — an evening of beauty, art, and innovation — in downtown Washington, D.C. Themed as a modern homage to the Harlem Renaissance, this showcase pays tribute to the talented beauty professionals, both past and present, shaping style and culture worldwide. At The Renaissance of U, this work takes center stage, celebrated as the art form it has always been.

“The work beauty professionals create is art and should be placed in the same conversation as fine art,” said Imani Elle, co-founder of AAIM Beauty Innovators Summit. “The Renaissance of U honors where our craft comes from and invests in where it’s going, so the next generation of stylists has both the stage and the support to lead this industry.”

Set in the National Union Building, a stately 1890 Romanesque landmark, the night draws on the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance — celebrating Black history together with the art, beauty, and fashion still inspiring culture today. The AAIM Beauty Innovators Summit, founded by Marriah Jones and Imani Elle, has a thoughtfully curated, thoroughly immersive evening in store for guests. The main event features an editorial hair showcase modeled on the runway, inspired by themes of the iconic era including poetry, music, and literature. Renowned hair artist Kayra Theodore serves as a principal hairstylist and beauty team coordinator, bringing her signature style to the exhibition. And Hair on Canvas founder, Serina Cooper, returns as Studio AAIM’s featured hairstylist to continue elevating the showcase.

Beyond the hair revue, the night invites each guest to explore a living gallery with curated art installations, live performances, and a DJ set tracing the evolution of Black American music. VIP guests can slip away to an intimate speakeasy experience, while Merchant’s Row offers a curated marketplace of independent brands spanning beauty, fashion, art, and apothecary. And for a good cause, guests can bid in a silent auction benefiting the Beauty Access Fund.

Beauty Access & Opportunity

The evening brings to life AAIM’s core mission: uniting licensed professionals, brand founders, and educators to empower the next generation of beauty industry innovators.

AAIM (Artistry, Activated, Innovated, and Mastered) builds on the legacy of women like haircare entrepreneur Annie Turnbo Malone who launched the Poro brand, then Poro College, in the early 1900s, training 75,000 agents in sales and cosmetology — including Madam C. J. Walker before she went on to build her own beauty empire. Back in the early 20th century, Malone and Walker created generational economic opportunities for Black women in particular — a spirit that AAIM carries forward.

That spirit is the driving force behind the Beauty Access Fund, a scholarship program established by the MIAA Foundation. To date, the fund has awarded more than $98,000 to emerging beauty professionals, helping them launch careers with less financial strain.

“No one should have to go into debt just to enter a career field,” said Marriah Jones, co-founder of AAIM Beauty Innovators Summit. “Beauty is a $600-billion global industry, yet it’s still treated as a vanity sector rather than a workforce. That perception is why beauty students get passed over for real financial resources. We’re not funding luxury. We’re funding licensed professionals who go on to own businesses, hire people, and build wealth in their own communities.”

Renaissance

The evening’s theme spotlights the rich history of Black luminaries, writers, and musicians in D.C. The Renaissance of U honors Washington’s own chapter of the Harlem Renaissance, rooted in the U Street corridor. In the 1920s, literary legends like Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer, and Zora Neale Hurston gathered at poet Georgia Douglas Johnson’s home for her Saturday Nighters salon, while a young Duke Ellington was getting his start playing clubs across the city.

Studio AAIM is teaming up with exclusive media partner HelloBeautiful — iOne Digital’s beauty and lifestyle destination for Black women — to make sure these stories continue to be shared, celebrated, and remembered.

“Community-based storytelling is integral to how HelloBeautiful honors Black women and the people shaping beauty and culture,” said Cliché Wynter-Mayo, Director of Sponsor & Affiliate Content, iONE Digital. “Studio AAIM gives us an opportunity to spotlight the hairstylists, creators, and entrepreneurs whose work deserves to be amplified. We’re thrilled to partner with a team that shares our sense of purpose and is creating space for this community to connect, express itself, and be celebrated.”