It was impossible to be everywhere at Hair Expo – we should know, we tried. Between the floor, the events, the education rooms and the all-important stages around the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, there were only so many places you could be at once. Luckily, we’re here to recap the highlights of what you may have missed while you were running somewhere else, particularly at Hair Expo’s three stages – the Main Stage, Men’s Stage and Styling Stage. These stages provided free and inspiring bite-size education presentations across all three days.
On the Main Stage, inspiration was in no short supply. Highlights included Kobi Bokshish, Stevie English and Geoffrey Herberg on stage together on behalf of Glampalm as one of the first shows, as well as elegant bridal hair education from Lorna Evans, the UK FAME Team in collaboration with BaByliss PRO, the Matrix Team’s presentation of Mastery in Motion, a meet and great with celebrity hairdresser Tabatha Coffey and more – and that was just day one! Subsequent shows by Guy Tang and his #mydentity colour brand, Caterina Di Biase, Kobi Bokshish’s Intershape team, Sharon Blain, 2017 Australian Hairdresser of the Year Jason Fassbender, Tracey Cunningham for Olaplex, Candy Shaw, Joey Scandizzo, Marie Uva and their teams showing off their live looks, the evo gang, the Australian FAME Team, R+Co’s founder Howard McLaren, The Belinda Keeley Education Team, lil’ off the top, O&M and, again, so much more, meant the stage was suitably packed. In fact, all in all, there were 36 shows across the three days. There was something to do at every second of expo hours, even just in keeping to the Main Stage.
Moving on to the colourful Styling Stage, located right next to the Dyson stand as its major sponsor, the stage showcased tools, techniques and looks to show off the best in current hair styling. 29 shows across three days hosted big names such as Peter Thomsen, Sam James, Lizzie Liros, Lorna Evans, Mary Alamine, Dee Parker Atwood, Dario Cotroneo, Paula Hibbard and more. Styles covered included everything from effortless waves, to modern grunge, Met Gala looks, polished styles, sustainable styling secrets and salon styling under 20 minutes. The Dyson Supersonic Professional edition was a major feature of the stage, with the tips and tricks of the professional exclusive hairdryer showcased to enthralled audiences across the weekend.
On the Men’s Stage next to the festival-esque food area at the back of the expo floor, diverse men’s education was on full display. 32 shows across three days came courtesy of high-profile men’s hairdressing figures such as the Redken Brews Team, Menspire, Mikey Denton, The Bearded Man, Ben Kane, Jimmy Niggles, Barber Brands International, Kings Domain, lil’ off the top and so many others. Must-see education topics included beard fading, cutting with intention, finishing touches, men’s skin solutions and collection and salon looks. Three days of pure barbering education on stage was enough to prove that there’s so much to learn in this rapidly growing field – and those leading the way are the epitome of cool.
You could have been preoccupied constantly at every second of Expo just at the stages alone, and that’s without even stepping into the revolving door of education classes and the maze that is the Hair Expo floor. We’re giving a nod of recognition to the event for providing free education across three massive stages so you could pick your poison – we hope you found time to sit down and soak it all in.
For more information visit www.hairexpoaustralia.com.au
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