In the latest Texture Diaries entry, Mariama Diallo talks all things hair, navigating the modeling industry, and playing Iman in HBO’s “Winning Time”
she couldn’t believe it. “Iman has always been an icon to me, especially with being African,” Diallo, who is from Guinea, tells. After three rounds of auditions, she adds, “I don’t think it registered for a while when I first got the role.” In the show, which follows the rise of the Lakers in the ’80s, Diallo playsduring her relationship with basketball player Spencer Haywood.
The role taught Diallo beauty lessons, too. For filming, she wore her natural hair out, the way Iman did. “I knew so many people were going to watch this. I had to make sure I was taking really good care of [my hair],” Diallo says. That meant using products like Pattern’s edge control, castor oil, Mizani shampoo and conditioner, and Camille Rose deep conditioner. After playing Iman, she says, “I’m now more inspired to wear my afro out in my own day-to-day life.
As she’s found greater self-confidence through her work and her family, Diallo says she’s been reminded that “accepting yourself and your hair is a collective journey. It’s been passed down through my ancestors, my mother and to me. And through me, it’s passed to my friends and larger community,” she says. “Just know you’re not alone.”Photo: Courtesy of Mariama Diallo“Golden hour photos on my roof, wearing my clothing line Sincerely Ria.