‘We’re still trying to define Black-Irish culture – and that’s super exciting’
When Black & Irish creative director Amanda Adé shaved off her hair at 21, it kickstarted her journey to self-acceptance and entry into the world of activism. Here, she talks about tokenism, being on the frontline during the Black Lives Matter movement, and her family’s dehumanising experience in Direct Provision
Amanda Adé. Picture: Kyle Tunney
Katie Byrne
Back in 2019, at the age of 21, Amanda Adé took a razor to her mid-length hair and shaved it all off. She wasn’t making a fashion statement. She wasn’t having a Britney Spears moment. It was a form of catharsis, she tells me over coffee in Brooks Hotel, Dublin. She was confronting her insecurities and taking back control.
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