Editor's Letter: It's A New Day

Frank Gambuzza is one of the most genuinely decent people I know, but then again, so is his wife Belinda. Maybe there’s something in the water in Knoxville, TN, where they own six salons. That being said, I can’t think of anyone who’s better qualified than Frank to re-energize Intercoiffure America/Canada, which is exactly what he plans to do now that he’s president of the industry’s most powerful and influential organization. The upside of ICA is that it’s 83 years old. Think of all that history. On the other hand, it’s 83 years old, which in our youth-obsessed culture seems like an eternity. “Any organization that has that kind of history, if one isn’t careful, could tend to rest on its laurels, and one day you wake up and say, how did we get old?” Frank says. “My intention as head of this organization is to create the enthusiasm and excitement that’s necessary to add the juice to ICA.” So far he’s right on track. “People came out in droves for the Atelier this fall,” says Frank, who created a lineup that included industry veterans like Sonya Dove, Van Council and Oscar Blandi, as well as social media rock star Guy Tang and celebrity colorist Tracey Cunningham, co-founder of the popular beauty website, Mane Addicts. “It’s a new time in the beauty business. We’ve got all the social media superstars, who are very good hairdressers, coming out of nowhere. This never happened before.” Here’s something else that’s never happened before: Intercoiffure is going to Cuba in February to do a photo shoot that we’ll publish in May. “It will be art for art’s sake,” says Frank of the project, which will feature local models—Cuban hairdressers will act as assistants on the shoot—and capture the charm of Havana before there’s a Starbucks on every corner. “It’s a new day, and we have no choice but to reinvent ourselves if we want to remain relevant as an organization,” says Frank. It’s a new day, indeed. Stay tuned to see what other tricks he has up his sleeve.