The Wrap: Revlon Professional StyleMasters 10th Anniversary in Barcelona

A bold and dexterous showcase of skill and agility, Revlon Professional celebrated their brand values of ‘Create Boldly and Live Boldly’ in true anniversary fashion – 4,000 people from 72 countries wrapped the world of hair around Barcelona, writes Cameron Pine.

An infectious energy of both community and creative hairdressing rivalry both filled Barcelona’s Gran Fira on June 4 – a large scale event with an even bigger heart – right at home in Barcelona’s capital and also home to not only some of Revlon Professional’s Global leaders but on this particular date also the hairdressing industry’s biggest heavyweights – with key media and personalities from across the world sitting front row at this uniquely creatively curated yet entertaining industry event. Everywhere you turned there was a significant and known industry leader to share and connect with. While being just one day, the sentiment of such a significant event spans the entire year through preparation, planning and most importantly industry engagement.

“10 years of StyleMasters shows our continual dedication to the creativity of the hairdresser so you can Create Boldly and Live Boldly,” said Miguel García Cotado Global Executive VP Artistic and Education at Revlon Professional. “For us and most importantly for you our incredible audience and artists, StyleMasters is about celebrating the love and passion in hairdressing and the future of our industry.”

This mission well and truly fulfilled through the impressive release of the breathtakingly real and street relevant ‘Live Boldly’ campaign on larger than life semi-transparent screens encasing one of the largest stages the industry has ever seen (at 600 square metres) with almost a cube-like casing. 800 square metres of multimedia display in fact revealed the true education pulse of Revlon Professional but rather than just through words and on-stage demonstrations, emphatically threw the entire audience in head-first.

What a way to get 4,000 people to soak up the messages of such a passionate brand – we were all hooked from the first few minutes it was hard to believe the show sailed through almost the best part of three hours. Most importantly for Revlon Professional it was also through this intricate blending of the technology and real worlds that the Live Boldly campaign inspires stylists and women throughout the world to reveal their unique talent and personality.

Add to this the reach of social media from every guests and key global media and it was hard for the world not to notice Revlon Professional’s various missions from ‘Choose Love’ and ‘One in Beauty’ to now extend beyond to creating and both living a better life through a professional approach. Revlon Professional didn’t really give the audience a chance to stop and think where the time had gone but at the same time managed to impart both business and creative messages universal to an industry with a true heartbeat. Kudos to that and for not disrespecting the art of the craft at the same time – we’ve all seen many hair shows where messages just get lost through a disconnect from stage to audience. It also proved why to completely understand exactly what the ‘StyleMasters’ concept really means that it has to be seen firsthand and in its entirety – the exact reason why the brand had no trouble getting 4,000 people on a chair for this epic night. The future of hairdressing where technology and emotive influences merge for Revlon Professional StyleMasters and the brand as a whole is now well and truly here.

Through this highly customised and unique journey between on-stage artistry and audio visual effects, Revlon Professional took us on an experience not only through the creativity and talent within such a wide-spread industry platform but also into the brand DNA of products and their connection to (head and heart) including a new Spa-centric Eksperience range and a hotter than hell collaboration with Harley Davidson and American Crew yet to launch in Australia in Feb 2019. Rarely before in the industry do we see two such well-known brands unite. More than just a photoshoot in the Texan desert shot by brand Founder and industry legend David Raccuglia himself, the partnership includes video collaborations, merchandise and in-salon engagement beyond what we’ve yet seen from a men’s grooming brand.

Revlon Professional also presented the segment, Future Education and the première of Glamsquad, the new Fall-Winter 2019 Collection that ignited a celebration of colour and a true party vibe for the brand – from soft to bold, the collection celebrates the diversity of beauty we are presented with today.

An inherent quality of the Revlon Professional Brand is to support the creativity of every hairdresser by creating platforms just like StyleMasters and the StyleMasters international Awards. In-line with this we also heard onstage from the President and CEO of Revlon Professional Brands, Debbie Perelman in a speech that highlighted their commitment to the hairdressing industry and every single audience attendee.

The formal strategy behind The StyleMasters International Awards is the creation of a collection based on the concept ‘1 cut, 3 looks’. This year Revlon Professional went a step further by incorporating colour into the contest, forcing the strong bind that is colour and style in creating the ultimate avant-garde looks.

An international jury made up of big names in the hairdressing and fashion industry including Roberto Pissimiglia, Australian Fashion Photographer Jonas Bresnan, Raquel Gattell – head of one of Spain’s largest modelling agencies. These judges determined the winners of The Global StyleMasters Award (rewarded with 1,.000 EUR!) and The Most Beautiful Color Award (rewarded with 5,000 EUR), new this year, from among the 17 International Finalists. The Best Stage Performance Award (rewarded with 5,000 EUR) was also voted live during the StyleMasters Show by the other Country Winners. In the vision to supporting new talent in the industry, StyleMasters keeps supporting newcomers in hairdressing with these highly creative and talented young people not only having their own category: The Young Talent Award (rewarded with 3,000 EUR) but also pushing the boundaries to show us some of the most creative work we’ve seen

It’s not news that American Crew also looks to inspire the global men’s grooming industry in search for the best hairstylist for men through the All Star Challenge, a now globally well-recognised competition with more entrants and followers every year. This proves that male grooming keeps on growing from a commercial point of view but it’s also cultivating some very talented and unique personalities within the industry. Of all participants, sixteen international candidates were chosen to be present in the final of American Crew All-Star Challenge, attending a Press Conference throughout the day to get up and close with media about their American Crew experience but to share in the sense of community and learning such a platform brings.

Of all the awards announcements, the Global Winner of the American Crew All Star Challenge Competition was the first to be announced: Vitaly Pimenov from Russia was chosen from among fifteen international finalists in the annual global competition that recognises the best men’s hair stylists in the world. The award was handed over by David Raccuglia, Founder of American Crew.

The new and perhaps the most anticipated category at the awards was The Most Beautiful Color Award, a new category devised to assess the colour technique applied and the colour result achieved, in addition to the overall harmony and elegance created with the other elements of the look. The winner of the Best Stage Performance Award was voted by the 21 Country Winners who did not reach the final. This year’s winners are:

Jeneta Shekhovich, Studia Master Class, from Russia, won The Young Talent Award, handed over by Julia Beckers, Global Winner of the StyleMasters Awards 2017.

Natalya Zheglova, Rayskaya Ptitza, from Russia, received The Most Beautiful Color Award, handed over by Roberto Pissimiglia, President of Estetica and Robert Masciave, member of the original StyleMasters team.

Mandy Lau Hoi Man, Color Group Hair Salon Limited, from Hong Kong, was awarded The Best Stage Performance Award, handed over by Raquel Gatell, Director of Traffic Models agency and Jonas Bresnan, Fashion and Beauty Photographer.

Finally, Silvia Galfo, President of Revlon Brands, handed over the coveted Global Winner 2018 prize to Maria Montes Campal, Manuel Mon Estilistas, from Spain, to a standing ovation from the audience.

Through an unparalleled global stronghold in colour, creativity, education and men’s grooming – conceptually it’s little wonder why StyleMasters goes down in history as one of the most significant events in our industry, but as with any large-scale event it’s the night that keeps on giving – guests kicked on as the venue and stage turned into a massive after party complete with a food set-up big enough to feed the entire Coachella audience, drinking and dancing.