For the Love of Hair with Alvina Bokhari
New York-based model and jeweler Alvina Bokhari shares her evolving relationship with hair as a personal and cultural journey—deeply rooted in her Pakistani heritage and childhood rituals. By embracing the care and traditions passed down from her mother, she’s found confidence, freedom, and a deeper connection to her identity.
Talk to us about your connection to hair?
My relationship with my hair has been a journey. Growing up I didn't have much control over how I did my hair. It was always styled in two braids. Everyone always told me I had long, beautiful hair. Everyone in my culture would be so excited to see my hair done or put in braids. My mom always loved doing it and it's something that I didn't really feel attached to.
When I finally was old enough to do my own hair I was very carefree with it. I was so ready to let go of this persona, of this uniform style that I had. With that, I started to learn how to take care of my hair and learned that the things that my mother taught me were actually very important. The things that she forced me to do before school is something that I carry on now in my adulthood. And with that, I fell in love with doing those things; like washing it, braiding it, oiling it. It made me feel in tune with myself again, with my inner child as well.
What is your relationship like with your hair now?
I always make this joke that my hair protects me in a way. It's very free-flowing.
Do you feel you connect to your hair as a part of your heritage, identity and culture?
Growing up Pakistani, my mom has been so attached to my hair because hair holds a lot of beauty in our culture and long dark black hair specifically is seen as something really beautiful. That's something that I resonate with when I see my mom, when I go home and when I watch movies. It feels true to my identity.
Do you have any hair tips or secrets that have been passed on through your family?
A major hair tip would be to oil your hair and massage it well. It's so important for your health, growth and scalp.
Does your hair hold any strong memories?
Yes. A core memory was when my mother would braid my hair before school and how that is still a ritual for me now.
Do you feel a correlation between your hair and your health?
Yes I do. Sometimes my hair is telling me stories like, "Girl, you need to stop stressing." I had my first gray at a very young age, and that was very telling because I was going through something very stressful. That was the first time I saw my body react to stress.
What do you really love about hair?
I love how hair can really change your mood. Like if you're having a bad hair day, if you're having a good hair day, it really holds so much power. When you are feeling yourself, your hair can really bring out some confidence in you.
Do you have any hair rituals?
For me, doing less is more and I learned that the hard way. I feel like it’s best when I allow my hair to do its own thing, I don't try to control it too much. If she wants to be frizzy that day, then she's frizzy. If she wants to be curly or messy or neat, it's whatever my hair is doing and I just let it be.
