Lace Layer's The Install at Boston City Hall Honored With Official City Citation
Lace Layer Brings Wig Education and Community to Boston City Hall
On September 19, 2026, Lace Layer brought The Install to the Civic Pavilion at Boston City Hall. The free public cultural event, held during Alopecia Awareness Month and supported by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, was honored with an official citation from the City of Boston and the Mayor's Office.
The Install conversation panel at the Civic Pavilion, Boston City Hall.
The Install centered the stories behind the wigs and the women who wear them. Guests walked through a portrait gallery of women navigating hair loss and wig wearing, photographed by Samuel "Borii" Adewale and curated by founder Arlene Baldwin. The afternoon continued with a conversation panel, a guided self care moment, and a live wig installation, giving guests both community and real education in one space.
Arlene Baldwin welcomes guests. Right: The Install portrait gallery, photographed by Samuel "Borii" Adewale.
For so many women, wigs are part of everyday life, yet hair loss is still something most of us go through quietly. Arlene knows that silence well. Diagnosed with alopecia at 17, she spent years hiding that she wore a wig, and her mother, who was also her hairstylist, was the one person who helped her through it. When her mom passed shortly after college, Arlene had to learn wig wearing completely on her own.
What she missed most wasn't a product. It was people to learn from and a place to talk about hair loss openly. That's why The Install exists: to put the stories behind the wigs, and the women who wear them, front and center, and to pair those stories with real education on wearing wigs safely and confidently.
The name holds both sides of that mission. An install is what happens in the chair, and an installation is what happens on the gallery wall. At The Install, we brought both together, so no one has to figure this out alone.
- Arlene Baldwin Moderator
- Wonder R. Hollingsworth Panelist
- Dianne Austin & Pamela Shaddock, Coils to Locs Panelists
- Danielle "Ms. HotSauce" Johnson Panelist
- Dr. Lucy Lomas Self Care Conversation
Dr. Lucy Lomas guides guests through a meditation. Right: the live wig installation.
The conversation didn't stay on stage. Guests stood up to share their own questions and experiences, including Theonide Pierre, a general manager and community change maker at Ben & Jerry's, who came to find a community that understood the struggles of wearing wigs in the workplace. Pierre shared that she began experiencing hair loss two years ago and is still learning how to transition into wearing wigs properly.
Kemi, a guest from Greater Boston, shared how glad she was to see alopecia awareness events like this one in the city.
Theonide Pierre and Kemi join the conversation from the audience.
We gave away five wigs from the Lace Layer wig collection, and every guest went home with a gift bag. Thank you to our sponsors Bask and Lather, Black Girl Vitamins, Black Girl Sunscreen, and Black Opal for gifting products and helping us make the day special.
Guests celebrate with Lace Layer boxes. Right: gift bags go out to the audience.
For us, holding this event at City Hall meant something. Wig wearing and hair loss belong in public, civic spaces. Not hidden. Not whispered about. Seen.
Asiah Wotring and Arlene Baldwin with the City of Boston Certificate of Recognition. Right: a full house at the Civic Pavilion.
When I lost my mom, I lost the person who did my hair and the only person who had ever taught me how to wear it. I learned wigs alone. The Install is everything I wish I'd had: women sharing their stories, real education, and a room full of people who understand.
Seeing these portraits hang at Boston City Hall, in the city where I grew up, is something I'll never forget. To the women who shared their stories with us: thank you for your courage. You made this possible.
This is only the beginning. The Install continues all year, and we're going to keep making space for this conversation.
The Install doesn't end on September 19. It continues year round as Lace Layer's wig education initiative, including our street interview series in Miami Beach, where women talk openly about wearing wigs. Stay tuned for The Install 2027: sign up for Wig Education by Lace Layer to be the first to hear when details are announced.
The portraits from The Install are also ready to travel. If you represent a gallery, library, hospital, or community space in Greater Boston and would like to host them, we'd love to hear from you at info@lacelayer.com.
Today, Lace Layer carries a full line of lace wig products including lace adhesive, remover, skin protectant, tint, freeze spray, and wig perfume, available on our website and Amazon. Every product is designed with the same commitment Arlene started with: reliable hold and real life wearability for everyday women.
Keep Learning: Wig Education by Lace Layer
The Install is one part of a bigger mission: making sure no one has to figure out wig wearing alone. Subscribe to Wig Education by Lace Layer for install tips, scalp care, and real talk about wearing wigs with confidence, and be the first to know about The Install 2027.
Subscribe to Wig Education →Thank you to the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, the City of Boston, our panelists, our photographer, our sponsors, and everyone who came out on September 19. This is for you.
To every woman who shared her portrait and her story: thank you for trusting us with it. The Install is yours.
About Lace Layer
Founded in Boston, Massachusetts, Lace Layer creates lace wig products designed to simplify the install experience and support long lasting, scalp safe wear. Built from lived experience and driven by community, Lace Layer is committed to creating confidence through reliable products, honest wig education, and The Install. Available at lacelayer.com and Amazon.
