Cutting-edge artistry took center stage at Wella Professionals’ Annual Trend Vision Awards.
The heartbeat of hair quickened this past July when beauty professionals representing the U.S. and Canada vied for Gold, Silver and Bronze at the North American Trend Vision Awards (NATVA). The event, staged at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, drew more than 2,000 attendees, who cheered for finalists competing in one of three categories—Student, Young Talent and Color. “Trend Vision is more than a hair show,” said Fabio Sementilli, vice president of education, Wella North America. “At its core, it is a competition. We at Wella believe absolutely that continual growth through education is essential to success as a hairdresser, and competition is one of the key educational motivators. These competitors are measuring themselves not only against the best hairdressers in the U.S., Canada and ultimately the world, but are also testing their own limits.”
The competition required finalists to demonstrate their skills and creativity by interpreting a Wella 2014 trend—Urban Native or Borderline Beauty—created by Wella Professionals Global Creative Directors Eugene Souleiman and Josh Wood. Contestants then presented their artistry to a prestigious panel of judges, including legendary photographer and hairdresser Robert Lobetta, celebrity stylist Andy Lecompte and American Salon Editor in Chief Kelley Donahue.
Interspersed throughout the program were a number of presentations that further raised the artistic bar. Sassoon Academy mesmerized the crowd with its Visor segment. For their part, acclaimed artist Tim Hartley, the North American Sebastian Professional Core Team, and the Netherlands’ Hester Wernert-Rijn, also shone a spotlight on cutting-edge hair designs.
The event culminated with the announcement of the 2014 NATVA winners. Securing gold for the U.S. were Ashton Morgan of Beau Monde Academy (Student); Alisha Basham of London Hair Salon and Spa (Young Talent); and Brenton Lee of Brenton Lee Salon (Color). Taking home top honors for Canada were Amanda Stellato of Salon Gaboa (Student); Fernando Monge of Head Candy (Young Talent); and Emily Murphy of Cavana Inn & Spa (Color). Basham, Lee, Monge and Murphy are now on their way to represent the U.S. and Canada at the International Trend Vision Awards, staged in Monaco in November.
“The North American Trend Vision competitors have gone through a year or more of preparation—taking classes at our Wella Studios in New York and Los Angeles, making time for our WellaLife seminars, spending countless hours practicing after working full days in the salon,” said Sal Mauceri, CEO, Wella North America. “The discipline and artistic insight they gained propel them to the next level, and the work that results makes Trend Vision a true celebration of professional accomplishment.” ✂ —Kelley Donahue