BTC “On Tour” Miami 2025: Trends, Education & Artists
Trends, Techniques & a JVN Moment—Here’s What Went Down in Miami
BTC “On Tour” kicked off the 2025 season in Miami Beach at the Fillmore with a one-day event packed with education, inspiration and major talent—including a mainstage conversation with “Queer Eye” star and long-time hairdresser Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn). Super VIP ticket holders kicked off the weekend at a private cocktail party with BTC artists and team, educators and JVN.
On show day, hundreds of stylists came together to learn from the artists shaping this year’s biggest trends in color, cutting, business and social media, leaving inspired and ready to take what they learned straight back to the salon.
Here are some of our favorite moments and keep scrolling for the most insightful tips from each segment:
See every photo from the show in our Facebook Gallery.
Lived-In & Luxurious: Dimensional Blonding for Today’s Clients
We learned the ins and outs of building dimension and tonal harmony on different hair textures.
- Kenra Professional Artist Kendra Alia (@iamkendraalia) on foiling textured hair:
“You don’t have to go in with chunky weaves and slices when coloring texture. Make sure your client’s curls are stretched to ensure the application is even and balanced.”
- Paul Mitchell Ambassador Paula Peralta (@thepaulaperalta) on tone selection for deeper skin tones:
“Most people think you’re automatically warm when you have a darker skin tone, but that’s not true. Always look for harmony and softness. Ask: ‘What’s the tone I can put on her so she looks gorgeous and fresh with no makeup?’”
- TRUSS Professional Global Ambassador Lisa Hernandez (@lisaherofficial) on reintroducing dimension to super blonde (overly blonde) clients:
“Use 25 percent teasing at the top and increase to 50 percent in the lower sections to soften brightness and build natural depth through the ends.”
Joico Takeover: In-Demand Haircuts & Color Services
These Joico artists broke down how to maintain depth, softness and shape while adapting 2025’s buzziest trends into real-world salon techniques.
- Artistic Director and Global Brand Ambassador Larisa Love (@larisadoll) on strategic foiling for Recession Hair:
“Less is more. Overfoiling gets rid of that beautiful depth and dimension, especially with Recession Hair—clients want less but still a little pop of color.”
- Brand Ambassador Olivia Thompson (@omgartistry) on softening the hairline:
“I never highlight baby hairs because it looks like breakage. Instead, I color melt them to create a seamless look.”
- Global Technical Director Jeannetta Walker-Rodgers (@watchmyhairbounce) on blending high-lift highlights on textured hair:
“If you have a curly client with dark hair who wants highlights at a Level 9 or 10, add a transition color from the darkest to the lightest color to avoid striping and make a natural blend.”
- Senior Global Artistic Director Richard Mannah (@richardmannah) on cutting a bob with suitability in mind:
“Every time I cut a bob, the line and balance have to be perfect—but it also has to suit the client’s face. If it doesn’t, it’s not a good haircut.”
High-Impact Foiling for Custom Blondes & Brondes
We learned new and innovative strategic placement: fringe foils, ‘midlights’ and face-framing with brightness.
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epres™ Artist Matt Rez (@colorbymattrez) on midlight placement for balanced brightness:
“I add two highlight foils and one midlight foil on the side of the head. The midlight connects what would be dark to all the light in the front.”
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Moroccanoil® Global Ambassador Rachel Williams (@rachelwstylist) on customizing foil sections in the fringe:
“To avoid dark spots in the fringe, customize your section size—it depends on density, growth pattern and more. Skip it, and you’ll get a dark spot that drives you (and your client) crazy.”
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Kenra Professional Artistic Director of Color Eric Vaughn (@realericvaughn) on softening the transition area:
“When painting the face frame, I angle the brush upward and diagonally toward the center part, then blend down to soften the line. The overdirection, tease and angle create such a clean blend, I can skip the remelt and go straight to toner.”
The Top Haircuts Your Clients Are Asking For
A crash course in modern haircuts, from layering to curl cutting and structural foundations.
- ARC™ Scissors Artistic Team Member Nubia Rezo (@nubiarezo) on maintaining curl pattern and volume:
“No tension and zero elevation is the key to a curly cut, because one curl will push the other to create a circle and lots of volume.”
- Redken® Artist Matt Swinney (@matt.swinney) on tension and graduation during a cut:
“Every action has a reaction. If you create tension, you create graduation—so know the result you’re working toward.”
- IGK Hair Co-Founder Leo Izquierdo (@leohairofficial) on creating the illusion of density through layering:
“To create fullness in the bottom and make the clients feel like they have a lot of hair, I make the top layers very light.”
Behind the Chair with JVN: Mary Rector Interviews Jonathan Van Ness
One of the most anticipated moments of the day was BTC Founder and Creative Director Mary Rector’s (@marybehindthechair) onstage interview with JVN—veteran hairstylist of 20+ years and now founder of JVN Hair.
Here are his standout quotes about building a business and empowering every client to love their hair:
- “Spend the most time working on the things you like the least. You can’t pick and choose the parts you want ot be interested in. If you don’t like to budget or if you don’t like inventory, that’s probably the stuff you need to spend the most time learning about.”
- “With haircare, it’s all about celebration: We love the hair that you have, and we want to empower people to learn how to work with their hair. I want to help you do everything you want with your hair—and explore why, if you have curly hair, you might feel like you have to straighten it instead of embracing your natural texture.”
From Instagram to Leadership: What It Really Takes to Grow
We learned how to use social strategy, trend knowledge and strong leadership to build a lasting, fulfilling career behind the chair.
- BTC Founder and Creative Director Mary Rector (@marybehindthechair) shared a powerful message on leadership, vision and building something bigger than yourself:
“When you surround yourself with people who want to be great, they only compete with themselves.”
“People who tell you not to dream big are permitting you to fail. People who give up on their own dreams have no problem stealing yours.”
“Set boundaries and live by them. The second you eliminate your boundaries is the second you will lose the rest of your team—and your self-respect.”
“Your job is to inspire, not to motivate. Not everyone wants to be great. Not everyone shares your vision.”
- BTC’s VP of Strategy & Influencer Marketing, Haley Gable (@haleygable), broke down how stylists can use Instagram to attract their dream clients:
“Look at your Instagram page and decide your desired client type. For example, if you want more blonding clients, post what you want to walk in the door next and archive the posts that are not serving you.”
- BTC Editorial Director Steph Bong (@yourgirlsteph) shared how trend knowledge can build loyalty and boost revenue:
“The easiest way to lose a client is by not offering suggestions and proper consultations. You’re the person who turns their inspo photo into the look they want while increasing the money in your pocket.”
Here are some of the 2025 hair trends Steph shared:
Check out our 2025 Trend Report to see the full breakdown.
Don’t miss BTC’s 3-day 25th anniversary “On Tour” event—coming to Dallas, August 23–26.
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