GENELVA
If you have a good look, it's like a face. We added little details like the hair accessories to give it something more. To me symbolizes a queen.
It’s about being seen, not blending in
Genelva doesn't blend in. She doesn't want to. You’ll rarely catch her in bland neutral colours. Think fuschia blazers with matching pumps. Canary yellow suits. Neon undergarments.
She dresses like a woman who celebrates herself.
For Genelva Oosterwolde, it’s all about the details. In honour of her birthday, she wanted a hairstyle that would turn heads. When she saw this sculptural braided crown on Pinterest, she knew she’d found her style.
"If you have a good look, it's like a face. We added little details like the hair accessories to give it something more. To me symbolizes a queen."
This is how Genelva moves through the world—deliberately, boldly, unapologetically.
For Genelva, looking good means feeling good. And showing her daughter that self-care isn't selfish—it's essential.
"I’m proud of the woman I am. And for my daughter also it’s also important she knows ‘I have a mom who’s proud of who she is."
This pride radiates outward, becoming the message she wants her daughter to grow up with: that Black women deserve to take up space, that natural beauty is worth the investment, and that showing up as your fullest self is a daily ritual worth embracing.
"I like to stand out from the crowd and be different. And that is also my message with my hair. I don't like to wear the things in the stores where everybody goes to, I like to be creative.”
Her hair follows the same philosophy. She cycles between protective styles with extensions and her natural texture, always keeping her authentic base. Every choice is intentional.
"Every day that I wake up, I just take care of myself. Even if I’m just going to the store I'm like, ‘No, I need to look good."
“I think maybe two times I went to somebody else, but they don't know how to manage my natural hair."
The wrong hands see a challenge to be tamed. The right hands see texture to be celebrated—and that makes all the difference.
"One time Anoeska was booked and my boyfriend asked if I wanted to go to his older sister because she can also do hair. He doesn't understand it. The bond I have with Anoeska… I just can't create it with somebody else."
This partnership is about more than technique—though expertise is crucial. It’s about understanding Genelva's unique texture and working with it instead of against it. Her hair is thick and prone to dryness, demanding specific knowledge that other stylists have consistently failed to master.
Finding the right stylist makes all the difference
Genelva's hair journey has taken her through all the different styles. Locs. Twist-outs. Buzz cuts. Fresh fades. Relaxers. But once she embraced her natural texture, there was no going back.
"I started with dreadlocks, and after that it was always on the natural base." Now, extensions are her only addition—everything else is her own texture, her own terms.
The transformation to natural styles had a lot to do with finding a hair stylist that just ‘gets it’. For thirteen years, stylist Anoeska has been Genelva's creative partner and hair advocate, their bond so strong even Genelva’s boyfriend is jealous:
"I love classy. I love details. I love to be different. And I also love to send a message."
During the course of our conversation that message came through loud and clear: It’s about taking care of yourself. It's about showing up fully no matter what the world has to say. It's teaching your daughter that she deserves to feel proud of who she is, exactly as she is.
For Genelva, every twist-out planned the night before, every carefully chosen outfit and accessory, every "no, I need to look good" moment is an act of self-love. And that's exactly the kind of quiet revolution the world needs to see.
This story is part of Natural Identity, a portrait series uplifting Black voices and hair journeys in and around Amsterdam.
The most important relationship is with yourself (and your hair)
Like any relationship, Genelva's connection with her hair has its complicated moments.
"It's very interesting. One day I'm like, okay, I’ll take my time and wrestle with it and still the result isn’t what I want. And other days I just do a quick twist on the sides and a bump and I'm ready."
Some days it's a labor of love. Other days, it's a pleasant surprise when everything comes together. Her favorite style has always been the braided bun. It’s classy and versatile, always making her feel put-together and powerful.
Images by Jennifer Grube
Writing by Caitlin McCarthy
