“The He(ART) of Hair”: Wella Company Names & Celebrates Beauty Envision Award Winners
Wella Company’s Sold-Out “The He(ART) of Hair” Combined Artistic Mastery With Celebration
A night of hair, celebration and artistic mastery: That is what the Wella Company manifested at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 30. “The He(ART) of Hair,” featuring the Beauty Envision Awards presented by Trendvision, brought together top hairstylists and nail professionals for an immersive event that celebrated passion and inspiration in a dazzling display. And because BTC had the honor of attending, we are sharing all of the deets below!
The opening cocktail hour featuring drinks, hors d’oeuvres and hair demonstrations by Wella pros for attendees to enjoy until the show’s start. Opening the event was Yannis Rodocanachi, Wella Company President of the Americas, who remarked: “Stylists are the heart and soul of Wella Company. We are committed to being their partners by enabling stylists to the best at their craft through a harmonious fusion of artistry, science and creativity.”
BTC had the special opportunity to sit down with Yannis before the show began. Regarding Wella Company’s commitment to their stylist community, he said the following: “[For us,] it was important to do three things,” Yannis began. “Reaffirm our commitment that we have, and that we’ve always had for our industry. To reiterate that we are back: It’s been more than two years [since] there has been an event in-person, and Behind the Chair is a good example of why events are important.”
“The second key is community,” Yannis continued. “It’s very important that we participate in nurturing our community. We participate in this through education, our products for the stylist to express their creativity, events and to create that link within the community to give stylists the tools and the support they need. The third would be creativity. The way stylists can make people feel good during a service is absolutely unique, and I think we can help them with bringing the trends and insights and helping the stylists to be always at the forefront of the trends.”
Lori Pantel, NA VP & Chief Marketing Officer, and Carole Protat, Sr. Director Brand Education, Artists & Events, also joined Yannis on stage, setting the scene for the forthcoming artistic display.
Attendees were treated to presentations from Wella NA Ambassadors, Global Artists and Sebastian Professional Global Artists who shared cutting-edge techniques and inspiring looks as they showcased their creative skills live on models. The show featured:
- Brunettes and Reds: Sonya Dove (@thesonyadove) and Daniel Mora (@danielmbeauty)
- Ultimate Blondes: Zach Mesquit (@thezacmesquit) and Dereq Clark (@dereqc)
- Creative Color: James Earnshaw (@jhair_stylist) and Briana Cisneros (@brianacisneros)
- Cut & Styles: Anthony Morale (@anthonycolesebastian) and Marylle Koken (@kokentheharlot)
To close the show, Carole returned to the stage to announce the winners of the Beauty Envision Awards. Over the course of 2023, 39 finalists were narrowed down from thousands of entries via online submissions of work created by hairstylists and nail professionals. Categories were broken down across Cut, Color, Style and Nails and had diverse sub-categories within. Artists created looks around the “Neo Flex” theme, which challenged them to dig deep into their arsenal of abilities to find flexibility and strength in softness.
In an interview with Carole, she told BTC: “Celebrating our community of artists is at the center of this event. When we think of Wella, we truly are a very tight community. We call it the Wella family. What we want to put out into the industry is that: It’s the heart. Together, we are much stronger than on our own,” Carole said.
This year’s judging panel of top industry professionals included: Briana Cisneros (@brianacisneros), Lia Smith (@thenailsmith), Galdina Gimenez (@nailuscious), Sonya Dove (@thesonyadove) and Gerard Scarpaci (@gerardscarpaci).
Meet the 2023 Beauty Envision Awards Winners!
Cut:
- Student Cut: Allen Atkinson, Ogle School, Fort Worth, TX
- Creative Cut: Jaclyn Coladonato, Mania Hair Studio, Norwalk, CT
- Ready to Wear Cut: Georgia Bolton, The Harlot Salon, Los Angeles, CA
Photo Credit: Instagram via @georgiacutz, The 2023 Ready to Wear Cut Winner
Style:
- Student Style: OcKiah Johnson, Bellus Academy, San Diego, CA
- Editorial Style: Keisha Mines, LaMace Visions, Chesterfield, VA
- Curls and Coils Style: Katie Manselle, Culture Hair Studio, Durham, NC
- Bridal Style: Anjela Drobot, High Society Salon, New York, NY
Photo Credit: Instagram via @keishamines, The 2023 Editorial Style Artist Winner
Nails:
- Student Nail: Alecia Hayes, Hays Academy of Hair Design, Hays, KS
- Gel Nail: Kaitlynn Mounce, Ogle School, Denton, TX
- Creative Nail: Ruby Armendariz, Ogle School, San Antonio, TX
Color:
- Student Color: Amy Howard, Hays Academy of Hair Design, Collyer, KS
- Creative Color: Erika Farias, Bellus Academy, San Diego, CA
- Ready to Wear Color:Kara Kessner, The Harlot Salon, Los Angeles, CA
- Transformation Color: Regan Wasson, Glow Hair Studio, Ottawa, Canada
- Curls and Coils Color: Katie Manselle, Culture Hair Studio, Durham, NC
Photo Credit: Instagram via @katiemhair, The 2023 Curls & Coils Color Winner
People’s Choice Awards:
- Christina Belle Nicolaides: Gingersnap Salon, Sudbury, Ontario Canada
Wella invites ALL stylists to join their competition next year, as each winner took home a $1,000 Visa gift card PLUS a full Wella Education certification journey ($6,500 value.) “The awards, and competition overall, are so important for young stylists,” Carole said. “To get their name out there, their work out there and push themselves. It’s where they start building a community… and they get exposed to much more than what it is to stand behind the chair. It’s nurturing the next generation and continuing to continue to fuel the industry with talented artists that can shape the future.”
For more information, and to view the 2023 Beauty Envision Awards replay, go to Wella Education on Instagram and Facebook.
