Tracee Ellis Ross Reunites ‘Girlfriends’ Cast in First-Ever Commercial for Her Natural Hair Brand

Tracee Ellis Ross, actress, entrepreneur, and long-time advocate for textured hair care, has reunited with her Girlfriends co-stars for the first commercial campaign by her beauty brand, Pattern.

In a short but striking 60-second advert, Ross appears alongside Golden Brooks, Persia White, and Jill Marie Jones—the original ensemble from the groundbreaking UPN series Girlfriends—in a fictional “Pattern Lounge,” where women of all curl types come together to create their ideal haircare “cocktail.”

Far from just a nod to nostalgia, the campaign serves as a celebration of the diversity and ritual behind caring for textured hair. With a tone that blends warmth, humour, and empowerment, the commercial ends with a subtle homage to Girlfriends, as the four women recreate the show’s now-iconic title sequence complete with wind-blown hair and knowing glances.

“What a dream,” Ross wrote on social media following the release. “Growing Pattern from an idea all the way to our very first brand commercial—and to bring my girlfriends back together? Through thick and thin, they’ve been here.”

Directed by Child, a rising filmmaker who is also part of the Pattern community, the ad highlights a practice familiar to many Black women: “hair cocktailing”—the layering of creams, gels, oils and conditioners to achieve personalised results based on individual texture and styling needs.

“It’s a common practice in our community,” Ross said. “We wanted to honour that with a cast of varied textures, and to show the joy that lives in those shared hair moments.”

Launched in 2019, Pattern is Ross’ response to the lack of inclusive, high-performance products for people with curly, coily, and tight-textured hair. The brand, which has grown steadily since its inception, centres on both product quality and education, encouraging people to embrace their natural texture without compromise.

Girlfriends, which aired from 2000 to 2008, was one of the earliest American series to centre Black women’s friendships, careers, and personal lives in a contemporary context. Created by Mara Brock Akil, it remains a touchstone for many fans and is often cited as one of the key forerunners to series such as Insecure and Harlem.

The reunion is not the first time the cast has reconnected on screen, Ross previously invited her co-stars for an episode of Black-ish in 2019—but it’s the first time they’ve appeared together to support a shared entrepreneurial and cultural mission.

Pattern also released behind-the-scenes footage of the commercial’s filming, offering glimpses of genuine camaraderie between the actresses—now more than two decades on from the show’s debut. They laugh, exchange styling tips, and reflect on how their friendship, like their hair, has evolved with time.