Beautiful Connections: Intercoiffure Fall Atelier 2017 Sets the Stage for the Future Industry Innovations!

Twice a year, Intercoiffure America/Canada gathers their members to celebrate the importance of connecting within the industry.

North America, the continent, is filled with talent that belongs to this prestigious organization and there is no better way to grow as a professional than to place yourself in front or mentors and inspiring icons of the hair world! From the award presentations to the fashion shows and everything in between, Intercoiffure America/Canada’s Fall Atelier focused around the theme “Together We Rise.”

From a whimsically explosive show presented by Oscar Blandi, to radically eccentric presentations by social media mavens, the weekend was a place where we saw a full range of beauty fused with the innovations of social media. Attendees took home an abundance of knowledge that they can use to grow their business and inspire clients to come back to the salon for the experience and mind-blowing transformations!

“‘Together We Rise’ was an absolutely appropriate theme for the Fall Atelier,” said Intercoiffure President Frank Gambuzza says. “The Fall Atelier was all about the new. We met in a new venue where we shared new ideas with new members, partners and friends. Still, we are the same family and together the future of our organization looks incredibly bright.“

Gambuzza hosted a wonderful show for what he calls his family on the third year in his term, and started with some incredible break out classes in the morning of day one! The classes could be divided into two categories: technology and of course detailed ways to boost business behind the chair. The audience was able to learn about the art of hair loss science with Dr. Alan Bauman from Viviscal, tech secrets from the masterminds at Wella Professionals, and tips on utilizing Instagram from a panel with Mark Bustos @markbustos, Mona Baltazar from @themonacut, and Cassandra McLaughlin @cassandraplatinum!

Then came the main stage presentations, which came in intervals of creative explosions and business-savy presentations. To kick off the weekend with some high fashion energy, Sharon Blain delivered three separate categories of hairdressing in her Artisan Odyssey. Her awe-some show was followed by a Coty-full presentation where models strutted as live examples of what TripleCraft can achieve presented by haircutting master Stephen Moody, and color by international colorist Sonya Dove. The looks were finished with nail color from OPI and styling by ghd.

L’Oréal gave us a wonderful treat with a specially wild show featuring Chelsea James @chelseavonnjames, Jessimay James @jessimayjames, and Randa Rivera @randa.rivera, all Instagram stars of the modern hairdressing world who had just flown in from Barcelona to speak of her journey to the Color & Style Trophy. She demonstrated her love for disconnected haircuts and gave a beautiful speech on what seemed to become the theme of the show: connections.

Among the many things Candy Shaw did this weekend, one of them was her role as ICA Membership & Recruitment Chair. She presented ICA professionals with their new membership at a wonderful ceremony where she was able to welcome 24 new members and partners, the most ever, during the Atelier’s pinning ceremony.

She also gave a second show on day two with her, mentor and mentee-friend Sonya Dove, where they both styled and cut models for the audience to show their skills. Another amazing presentation was Shirley Gordon with what she calls her “units” or better known as her wonderful hand and custom crafted wigs, and she demonstrated how changing the look and ethnicities of your hair is possible in only a few seconds, a handful of bobby pins, and a dab of sealer!

Then followed the ICA Sunday night back tie gala, where Oscar Blandi presented his vision of haute hairdressing in an ethereal show that fed the inner dreamer of anyone in the audience, while satiating the desire to witnessing breathtaking hair. Dancers floated onstage with hairpieces and looks that embodied each character; from mermaids, to fairies and elemental beings, this show demonstrated the range of Oscar Blandi’s talent and his ability to transform any being to a sculptured beauty.

President Frank Gambuzza embraced the “Together We Rise” theme by presenting several awards during Sunday night’s spectacular black tie gala. The ICA Humanitarian Award was presented to Mark Bustos, who has traveled the world providing free haircuts for homeless people. The “Sans Bias” Award was presented to Maryanne McCormack as a tribute to her success in the industry; “Leo Passage Educator of the Year” was presented to Candy Shaw, who has a gift for and dedication to sharing her craft with others; the “President’s Award” was presented to Babak, New York City-based hair photographer; and the “Beauty and Fashion Award” was presented to Beverly Sassoon.

Day 2 of Intercoiffure’s Fall Atelier 2017 started with the “Wabi-sabi’ looks crafted by ICA Nouveau Creative Team led by Perry Monge. These Asiatic-inspired looks were created by the youngest of the association. The followed a handful of creations by Nina Kovner, Eli Haliwell, and Wendy Liebmann for Kérastase.

The event closed with the press luncheon, which forecasts Intercoiffure’s new collection directed by Van Council and his team. This year Van focused the collection on the concept of New Orleans’s mystery and allure. Seeing the collection, one notices the heavy bold fringe and short hair apt for a burlesque beauty.

Take a look at the gallery below for some of the best moments and get inspired by the trends and collections presented this weekend!