“I think we’re moving into a space where most beauty companies are are Tech companies,” says Maya Smith.
That’s an amazing claim from a brand that launched in 2012, long before AI was everywhere. But Dukes has always been ahead of the curve. Since day one, the hair care brand has been anchored in culture: hip-hop references, retro- and afro-photoism, black-haired curry nostalgia, all in service of marketing hair products to black women.
Of all AI can do, Smith, co-founder, CEO, and creative director of Docs, is well aware that the system’s biases still abound. Tech is accelerating faster than access and representation. “What I realized is that in order to replace it, you really have to train the AI“Smith tells me.” I wanted to be a part of (it). “
Here she is doing exactly that.
Partnering with Black Girls Code
In collaboration with Black Girls Code (BGC), Dukes launched the Black Beauty AI Challenge in June, calling on emerging creators to submit their original AI-powered videos.
In addition to the need to use only Free tools like Canva, CapKit, or Pica — “because a lot of barriers have to do with accessibility” — participants were intentionally given broad parameters to show how they define black beauty, in order to earn cash prizes and opportunities for additional exposure. Winners will be announced later this month.
“I understand there are some concerns, because a lot of people don’t understand it,” says Smith, adding that the challenge provides some awareness. “But it’s important for black creators to be able to participate in the AI conversation, because it’s not going anywhere.”
Key Path: Mentoring with education and outreach is a powerful form of thought leadership and a solid way to develop trust and authority.
Leading the culture
Prior to BGC’s partnership, Smith was already experimenting with AI to help bring his campaign and product launches to life.
To help execute the vision for Dox’s Press Play collection, which launched last year, she used Midjourney AI to organize the endless ideas in her head and create usable renderings that guided her production team. “We didn’t want to spend a lot of time and money on revisions,” says Smith.
Smith is inspired by everything from Black Barbie evolution to the Palm Springs aesthetic. “When people are interacting with any of these platforms, even if you’re good at it, you still have to be very specific,” Smith says.
“You have to learn art history (in this case) so you know what to say. You have to learn about camera angles, wide shots. You still have to educate yourself on what you’re telling the AI.”
The latest launch was no different. The products in Doux’s Block Party collection were formulated to stand up to moisture. The biggest challenge, notes Smith, was telling the story without veering into a generic, often culturally unfounded campaign, without exhibiting a freez-to-sleek arc, implying that the hair wasn’t pretty to begin with.
With the help of AI, a bubble becomes a visual metaphor for an anti-human barrier.
“Beauty brands need to lean into the people they’re serving,” says Smith. “Everything we do is informed by our community. AI is just another way to engage with them.”
Key Path: Use AI to clarify — not replace — your creative vision. Humans still set the tone. AI helps to do this faster.
AI will never replace IRL
In this spirit, the “block party” concept was customer-led. New York is his biggest community and what Smith heard about the city stuck with him was that it was changing, that it was changing, that these neighborhoods looked different than the ones people grew up with.
So Block Party became an homage to the famous block parties in New York that spawned many of Dox’s customers.
For their NYC debut party, the Docs team invited 60 beauty journalists, influencers, and distributors to dinner and dancing, and hired DJ Ty Alexander to spin crowd-pleasers like Bossy’s “Mutt Down,” Lauren Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and Fly’s “Swag Surf.”
“I think our love language to our community is showing them the way we see them and making sure they see themselves,” Smith says.
Key Path: AI is inevitable, but in-person experiences are irreplaceable drivers of community.
