Mane Metaverse: The Doux Founder Maya Smith Talks Delivering Digital ’Dos & Black Hair Culture To Roblox

Black hair is officially entering the gaming chat, and for The DouxFounder Maya Smiththat means more than laid edges on an avatar. It’s a chance to bring the culture, creativity and entrepreneurship of the Black salon experience into a new digital space.

The Doux has expanded into Roblox with an immersive salon experience that brings textured hair, salon culture and entrepreneurship into the digital world. Developed with Exclusible, the experience allows players to build and operate their own salon while shampooing, drying and styling clients across a range of hair textures and protective styles.

For Smith, a cosmetologist who has worked in the beauty industry since 1995, entering gaming isn’t about following a tech trend. It’s an extension of the same salon culture that inspired The Doux in the first place.

“I think one thing that The Doux is known for is being innovative, but also really thinking about not just the hair itself, but the everyday life and the quality of life of the people that we serve,” Smith said.

She said Roblox offered the brand an opportunity to meet consumers where they already are while expanding conversations about textured hair, entrepreneurship and the role salons play in Black communities.

“My thought was really to take our consumers and our followers on this journey of what it was like for me to start The Doux,” Smith said. “You know, if you know anything about The Doux, you know we started from our salon.”

The Doux Is Taking Players Beyond The Styling Chair

Rather than simply dropping virtual bottles of The Doux into a game, Smith wanted players to experience what it takes to actually operate a salon.

That includes serving clients, keeping appointments, selecting hairstyles and managing the details that can determine whether customers leave happy. Smith said that approach also speaks to ongoing conversations about the differences between “new school” and “old school” salon culture.

“People have always seen the craft or seen what hairstylists or barbers and Black salon culture produces in the community, but nobody really thinks about the actual business,” Smith said.

For her, the neighborhood salons many Black customers grew up visiting were built on more than talent.

“The long-standing businesses are built on great customer service, being on time, no ‘hey boo’ text, right?” she said. “All of the things that make you love your neighborhood salon from back in the day are parts of the actual business of hair care.”

The experience gives players a chance to explore those behind-the-chair responsibilities while still having fun with the creative side of beauty.

More Than 50 Textured Hairstyles Put Representation At The Center

The virtual salon includes more than 50 textured hairstyles created with members of the Roblox creator community, with options spanning different textures and styles.

Smith said making that representation intentional was one of the project’s biggest priorities.

“We all know what it’s like to, you know, be in the store and not see your name on a little license plate, or you know, want to pick an avatar in a game or any of your younger memories of playing and not seeing yourself represented in play,” she said.

Players will encounter avatars with varying skin tones and hair textures, along with hairstyles including twist-outs, braid-outs, Afros, fades and locs.

Smith said she wanted users across backgrounds to be able to identify with someone in the game while also gaining an appreciation for the broader community represented within it.

“The first game where the representation of the actual avatars is very, very intentional,” Smith said.

Maya Smith Wants Players To See The Business Behind Beauty

Entrepreneurship is just as important to the experience as styling hair.

Smith’s own path to becoming a beauty founder began behind the chair. She said she initially wasn’t focused on becoming a product entrepreneur. Her business centered on building spaces where Black women could feel safe, understand their hair and improve their haircare experiences.

“The heart of the brand really rests in that salon space,” Smith said.

That origin story is reflected in the game as players make appointments, serve customers and even choose elements for their virtual salons.

“All of the little things, the little details that are missed because everyone’s so focused on the hair, I wanted to bring that to the space and give our user an opportunity to experience that,” she said.

For The Doux, Gaming Is Part Of A Bigger Lifestyle Play

Smith also sees the Roblox experience as an opportunity to challenge ideas about where independent Black-owned companies belong.

“I hope it says a lot more about what Black founders are capable of in the beauty space,” she said.

Smith acknowledged that Black creatives are frequently recognized for setting trends that later influence larger brands, but she wants Black founders to have opportunities to lead conversations around emerging technology rather than simply inspire them.

“I see The Doux as a lifestyle brand,” Smith said. “So yes, hair, but also art, music, fashion, tech.”

That means entering spaces that may not traditionally be considered part of a haircare company’s lane.

“More Black founders, more people of color that are willing to step outside of what other people may see as their lane, I think really will inspire and empower other creators,” she said.

Smith added that participating in those spaces is becoming increasingly important as consumers encounter brands digitally before they ever walk into a store.

“How do we engage with them from a place that they are instead of demanding that they come to find us?” she said.

The Products Are There, But Smith Says Serving Comes Before Selling

The Doux’s real-life products are incorporated into the styling process. If a virtual customer requests a twist-out, for example, players can encounter products associated with creating that style.

The experience also incorporates age-based restrictions. Users 13 and older can see branded content, while shopping functionality is reserved for adults 18 and older.

Still, Smith said the ultimate goal isn’t to turn the game into another digital storefront.

“We want to create and entertain, edutain, if you will, the people who love the brand,” she said.

Smith said she’s more interested in building a relationship with players by inviting them into The Doux’s world.

“I think a lot more about serving than selling, and that really is like what this game is about,” she said. “It’s an opportunity for us to engage in a way that is unique.”

As The Doux continues exploring what exists beyond the traditional beauty aisle, Smith isn’t putting many limits on where the brand could go next.

“My mission has always been to create more spaces and provide more opportunities for people to do whatever it is that they want to do, just through the lens, right, of The Doux,” she said.

For now, that lens is bringing the Black salon experience into Roblox, complete with the textures, creativity, business lessons and sense of community Smith hopes players recognize from real life.

“My hope is that the people who use the game will feel seen, and have a sense of belonging, and feel included in this world,” Smith said. “So I’m super excited about it.”

For more on The Doux, its textured haircare products and the latest from the brand, visit TheDoux.com.

The post Mane Metaverse: The Doux Founder Maya Smith Talks Delivering Digital ’Dos & Black Hair Culture To Roblox appeared first on Bossip.