It’s that time of year, when the hair and salon industry’s biggest and best do’s are shown off in Vegas. This year’s award ceremony promises not to dissapoint and the following stylists have been announced. The event will be held at the Mandalay Bay, in Las Vegas Nevada on July 13th.

From all over North America, talented stylists have been selected to compete in 12 categories. There are 60 finalists, entered from over 600 entries, and the judges have admitted that these are some of the best entries to date.

Editorial Stylist of the Year
Michael Albor (The Loft Salon + Day Spa, Boston, MA)
John Donato (Donato Salon and Spa, Toronto, ON)
Nicholas French (Matrix Global Academy, New York, NY)
Charlie Price (Click Salon, Denver, CO)
Maryl Velbeck (Trend Wave Studios, Los Angeles, CA)

Make-Up Artist
Raquel Atienza (Toronto, ON)
Giancarlo Intini (Aurora, ON)
Janell Geason (Eden Prairie, MN)
Angelia Senevisai (Minneapolis, MN)
Tatoulian Sevan (St. Laurent, QC)

Master Stylist of the Year
Edwin Johnston (The Cutting Room Creative, Nanaimo, BC)
Alain Pereque (Salon Pure, Montreal, Quebec)
Charlie Price (Click Salon, Denver, CO)
Ruth Roche (RARE, New York, NY)
Brian & Sandra Smith (Dahon, GA)

Student Hairstylist of the Year
AbBear Blasi (Eric Fisher Academy, Wichita, KS)
Daniella Bowman (Aveda Fredric’s Institute, Cincinnati, OH)
Denise Joyce (Eric Fisher Academy, Wichita, KS)
Whitney Vallee (Inpure, Montreal, Quebec)
Chelsea Vittorio (Aveda Fredric’s Institute, Indianapolis, IN)

Salon Team
Deborah Gavin (Fresh Hair Studio, South Hampton, PA)
Daniel Holzberger (Van Michael Salons, Atlanta, GA)
Suzanne Martin (Three Small Rooms, Barrie, ON)
Tony Ricci (Ricci Hair Co., Edmonton, AB)
Ryan Teal (Capello Salon, Milwaukie, OR)

Hairstylist of the Year
Maureen Anlauf (Juut Salon Spa, St. Paul, MN)
Marjorie Clarke (The Hair Force, Paradise, Newfoundland)
Daniel Holzberger (Van Michael Salons, Atlanta, GA)
Charlie Price (Click Salon, Denver, CO)
Dimitrios Tsioumas (HiLites Hair Salon, Fulton, MD)

Haircolor
Rene Antonio (Salon Gregories, Balboa, CA)
Dana Lyseng (Supernova Salon, North Vancouver, BC)
Lisa McAuliffe (Afif Salon, Toronto, ON)
John Simpson (Lewis Salon, McDonald, Pennsylvania)
Chisun Tsang (Blushes, Ottawa, ON)

Fashion Forward
Maureen Anlauf (Juut Salon Spa, St. Paul, MN)
Lucie Doughty (A.T. Tramps, Venice, CA)
Shirley Gordon (Strands Hair Studios, Weaton, MD)
Ryan Teal (Capello Salon, Milwaukie, OR)
Lisa Vann (Etherea Salon Spa, Seattle, WA)

Salon Design
Scott Cole (Paul Mitchell the School, Carefree, AZ)
Van Council (Van Michael Salon, Atlanta, GA)
Eric Fisher (Eric Fisher Salon, Wichita, KS)
Bruce Osgood (Osgood-O’Neil Salon, Dallas, TX)
David Wagner (Juut Salon and Spa, Edina, MN)

Contemporary Classic
Maureen Anlauf (Juut Salon Spa, St. Paul, MN)
Chrystofer Benson (Logics, New York, NY)
Marjorie Clarke (The Hair Force, Paradise, Newfoundland)
Steve Elias (Elixir Salon Spa, Berkeley, CA)
Matt Swinney (Evolution, Minneapolis, MN)

Texture
Maureen Anlauf (Juut Salon Spa, St. Paul, MN)
Nicholas French (Matrix Global Academy, New York, NY)
Shirley Gordon (Strands Hair Studios, Weaton, MD)
Charlie Price (ClicMaureen Anlaufk Salon, Denver, CO)
John & Rebecca Sentell & Morris-Hele (Fresh Hair Studio, South Hampton, PA)

Avant Garde
Martin Alarie (Pure Salon, Montreal, QB)
E. Darian Bishop (Toni & Guy, Dallas, TX)
Nicholas French (Matrix Global Academy, New York, NY)
Daniel Holzberger (Van Michael Salons, Atlanta, GA)
Janine Jarman (Hairroin Salon, Los Angeles, CA)

NAHA 19 will start with a Red Carpet Reception at 6:30pm followed by the Awards Ceremony at 8:00pm. The event will be emcee’d by the witty and beautiful Victoria Jackson (of Saturday Night Live fame). Additionally, special artistic presentations by NAHA 2007 Fashion Forward winner Veronica Bessey, sponsored in part by TIGI, and NAHA 2006 Master Stylist winner Heather Wenman will end the evening.

For tickets, visit www.probeauty.org/naha or by calling 800-630-3603. NAHA is held in partnership with Cosmoprof North America, visit www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com for more information. Article tip courtesy of Behind the Chair.

Beauty Launchpad’s article of the month for July examines the hair workings of stylist Sean James as he wrangles one of fashion weeks stray shows in Los Angeles.

Here’s a clip of of the article written by Karie L. Frost:

Six shows. One man. With styling tools at the ready and a fierce attitude to get the job done, hairstylist Sean James tackles the black sheep of the world’s fashion weeks: MERCEDES-BENZ LOS ANGELES. As far as fashion weeks go, some regions deliver the goods in a consistent manner. New York is known for its Americana sportswear and slicked-back ponytails.

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The Afro Hair Show 2007

A lot can happen in 25 years. Very few venues are around long enough to even be worthy of a celebration, but in May 2007, the Afro Hair & Beauty Show will be reborn as Afro Hair & Beauty Live. This change will be accompanied by more demonstrations, more makeovers and more ways to get involved. The show boasts to be the most hands on ever.

Afro Hair & Beauty Live is taking place on Sunday 27^th and Monday 28^th May at the prestigious Alexandra Palace, London. The event will bring together the world’s leading hair and beauty brands with top hair stylists and beauticians for a dazzling weekend of top tips and hands-on fun.

Spring fashion is already buzzing and we’ve barely entered the new year. What may seem at first glance to provide nothing for the normal shopper, a closer examination reveals that there are in fact some pieces that are practical for everyday wear, and will show off the everyday woman - not just the 6′ plus super model. Beauty Launchpad magazine has a feature article that rounds up this year’s spring fashion. Here’s a snippet of the article by Karie L. Frost:

The overall tone for spring seemed to lack cohesiveness, with some designers teleporting fashion far into the future and others waxing nostalgic for retro ’60s inspiration. Overly frilly frocks took a backseat to gauzy, transparent confections minimal in embellishment, yet heavy in innovative construction. And while waistlines moved up, up and away, hemlines did the same, leaving miles and miles of bare gams. Did designers have everyday women in mind when creating paper-bag waists, trapeze silhouettes and hot pants that practically double as knickers? Perhaps not, but among the styles sent down spring runways, plenty of wearable garments abounded, and with tons of trends to choose from, you’re sure to find your look for spring.

For the full article, click here.

”There are plenty of ways to stay gorgeous when it’s freezing outside and you feel like your nose is turning bright red… It’s time for lots of tinted moisturisers and light foundations with peach blushes over them. Coloured lip glosses are really in fashion, too, this winter. Then chocolate browns and dove greys are in, with pearlised, pinky eye shadows. It’s all very glamorous but in a very natural, sexy way.”

Via GUY TREBAY of the New York Times
WHEN business gets more interesting than art, smart artists go into business. That, anyway, was how Andy Warhol saw things. And if the talking heads in Ken Burns’s new documentary on him are to be believed, Warhol was not just the single most important creative talent of the late 20th century but among its cannier social analysts.

Of course, Warhol was neither alone nor even first among his contemporaries to play coy games with commerce. Early in 1961, at about the time Warhol was piecing together the first moves in his grand career strategy, a reporter asked Yves Klein, a founder of the Neo-Realist movement, what he would do if offered a job as head of General Motors.

“Would you give up art?”

“Why not?” Klein replied. “It’s a good job.”

Klein’s quote is printed on a wall at the entrance to a retrospective of his work at the Pompidou Center. And it would seem to have a lot of relevance for those who spend their time critiquing the fine and applied arts.

Lately the boundaries between creative forms and commercial forces have all but vanished. And this fact, much more persuasive than any of the notional drivel being spouted about the so-called future of fashion, is the indicator to watch.

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