Every year Wella Professionals Global Creative Directors Josh Wood and Eugene Souleiman forecast the seasonal hairstyles and color palettes that set the stage for the Wella Professionals’ annual competition, TrendVision. This year only 44 finalists from the U.S. and Canada out of a field of 1,200 earned the right to interpret those trends onstage before a panel of top artists and Wella educators. Onstage talent included Mark Hayes, Traci Sakosits, Richie Rivera, Shay Dempsey, Darren Ambrose and Michael Polsinelli. The panel of judges included Tabatha Coffey, Andy LeCompte, Oscar Blandi, Eden Sassoon, Frank Morasco and Whitney Port, Wella's new brand ambassador.
In addition to the live competition and awards, the evening showcased an inspiring line up of artistic presentations from some of the best hairdressing talent the industry has to offer. D&J Ambrose presented the Urban Camouflage collection for Wella Professionals, Sebastian Professionals Creative Directors, Shay Dempsey and Michael Polsinelli showcased their new collection Metamorphik and Sassoon Academy’s Mark Hayes, Traci Sakosits and Richie Rivera’s presentation consisting of three trends, Yeah Yeah!, Dekadenz and Gothique, giving the North American audience a show to remember.
Finalists competed in three categories: Student (open to students or recent beauty school graduates), Young Talent (open to hairdressers 30 years old or less) and Color Vision (open to hairdressers of all ages).
The winners are:
U.S. Color
Gold: Katie Manselle, Samuel Cole Salon, Raleigh, NC
Silver: Brenton Lee, Brenton Lee Salon, South Pasadena, CA
Bronze: Michael Haase, Salon Platinum Black, Los Angeles, CA
U.S. Young Talent
Gold: Alisha Basham, London Hair, Studios Eugene, OR
Silver: Erika Nash, Roots Salon, Minneapolis, MN
Bronze: Taylor Roles, Bijin Salon and Spa, Prairie Village, KS
U.S. Student
Gold: Julie Richard, John Ridgel's Academy of Beauty, Temple City, CA
Silver: Elizaveta Solovyeva, Bellus Academy, El Cajon, CA
Canada Color
Gold: Ilona Garson, Jet Black Hair and Studio Ottawa, Ontario
Silver: Suzanne Pack, Texture Hair Salon Ottawa, Ontario
Bronze: Damien Carvery, Texture Hair Salon Ottawa, Ontario
Canada Young Talent
Gold: Paige Ingram, Union Salon Vancouver, British Columbia
Silver: Vanessa Vandenbrouck, Olab Coiffeurs Montreal, Quebec
Bronze: Cristina Prioletta, Salon Samuel Augustin Montreal, Quebec
Canada Student
Gold: Angelica Grasso, Marvel Beauty, London, Ontario
Silver: Michael Sauvagot, Donato Salon & Spa, Toronto, Ontario
Bronze: Melina Tzinevrakis, Studio Caract Hair, Cowansville, Quebec
All gold medalists will travel to Berlin where the color and young talent winners compete.