Charlotte Mensah Announces CM:CM, A Landmark Retrospective Exhibition Celebrating 40 Years of Hair, Culture and Community.

Award-winning hairstylist, entrepreneur and cultural pioneer Charlotte Mensah will mark a series of extraordinary career milestones with CM:CM, a landmark retrospective exhibition at Ladbroke Hall from 9 to 13 September 2026.

Celebrating 40 years in the hair industry, 25 years of her iconic Notting Hill salon, Hair Lounge, and 10 years of her award-winning eponymous product line, the exhibition offers an immersive journey through Mensah’s life, work and enduring impact on beauty, culture and identity.

The exhibition is curated by Madeleine Haddon, Senior Curator at V&A East, with the space designed by Jacqueline Douglas. Both are long-standing friends and clients of Hair Lounge, bringing the spirit of the salon’s community into the fabric of the exhibition itself.

Visitors will be invited to travel from Mensah’s childhood in Ghana to her formative years growing up in 1980s North West London, before exploring a career that has seen her become one of the most respected figures in global hairdressing. Throughout, the exhibition examines the profound relationship between hair, identity, heritage, self-expression and community. More than a retrospective, CM:CM seeks to place Afro hair at the centre of wider conversations around culture, creativity and belonging, showcasing the artistry, innovation and care that have defined Mensah’s work over four decades.

Talk Programme

Wednesday 9th September 6:30pm
Beauty, Business & Belonging

Thursday 10th September 6:30pm
The Modern-Day Salon: A Cultural Institution

Find out more.