Last weekend Aveda hosted its biennial signature event, Master Jam, at London’s ExCel. With Salon International taking place there too, it positioned Master Jam at the very heart of British hairdressing.
ExCel’s fabulous Auditorium space saw the Aveda brand’s artistic directors working side-by-side with some of its finest European teams. Four hours of innovation and top-notch creative inspiration confirmed the strategic role of this brand in hairdressing worldwide. Amanda Le Roux, Vice President of Aveda International, and Darren Potter, General Manager UK & Ireland, were on hand to welcome the crowds, soon followed by a performance by Ray Civello with the Canadian team.
Then it was the turn of Ricardo Dinis, Artistic Director of Hair Cutting, and Jo McKay, European Technical Hair Specialist, who thrilled the public with their innovative proposals, including an “action painting” inspired by the art of Jackson Pollock and translated into highly customised Avant-Garde looks.
“La belle vie-Les années folles” by Bastian Casaretto, Artistic Director Germany, Switzerland and Austria, followed with ideas for make-up in the salon as well. This was followed by a superb performance from the Van Michael team, inspired by Japanese Gothic Lolita, interpreted strong undercuts, disconnections, and strong colour contrasts.
From Allen Ruiz, Artistic Director Hair Styling, an artistic collection ranging from minimalist frisé to chameleontic decor, then the screening of the video dedicated to Horst Rechelbacher, the recently deceased founder of Aveda.
On stage, instead, Dominique Conseil, Aveda Global Brand President gave his own tribute to Horst and, together with Pauline Cairns, European Education Director, proclaimed the winner of the Fashionista Award 2014. The opportunity to work at the Aveda Congress in Minneapolis and backstage at New York Fashion Week was won by Russian stylist Ilya Balkov.
For the first time on stage in London, Tippi Shorter, Artistic Director Textured Hair, who presented hairdressing with unprecedented extensions fixed with crochet. This was then followed by all the colourful and ultramodern creativity of the Spanish X-Presion team, who were later recognised at the Alternative Hair Show with the Best Photography Award AIPP.
For the finale, Ian Michael Black, Artistic Director Hair Color, and Janell Geason, Artistic Director Make-Up, proposed fashion influences inspired by the Massai in Africa and many “real hair” looks, or coifs that can be adapted to a salon.
The event concluded with a huge party at Bodo’s Schloss Club and technical workshops on Monday dedicated to boosting creativity and salon business.
