This week, Sabre Haircare hosted an exclusive JOICO VIP event at the Opal Suite at The Crown Sydney, overlooking Barangaroo. Inviting 25 top JOICO partner salons who flew in from around Australia and New Zealand for the festivities, the agenda was headlined by a look and learn by JOICO Global Artistic Director, Richard Mannah, an intimate Q&A with Richard and JOICO’s Education Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Duncan Richards, and a five-star, three-course luxury luncheon courtesy of The Crown.
Richard is renowned for his editorial accolades, including winning the title of London Hairdresser of the Year, credits for publications such as Vogue, Elle, and Grazia and backstage experience at New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week and more, through which he’s accumulated over two decades of industry practice. He took on the title of Global Artistic Director for Joico in 2018 and is well-known for his on stage charisma and expertise in this role, which was on full display at the VIP event.
The morning began with champagne, seasonal fruit and cheese platters to welcome guests, who were able to mingle and network with JOICO’s Australian and New Zealand ambassadors. This relaxed atmosphere carried through the day.
The proceedings then included two hair presentations by Richard in the look and learn, with a multi-dimensional violet look transformed in the room through cut and style, into what Richard calls the “layered flick”, as built with three disconnections for a versatile, curved shape. The second look was glamorous long hair waves to showcase varied hair lengths, with Richard providing the finishing touches in the room.
JOICO Colourist Carolyn Gahan and Sabre Haircare Educator Carley Canham talked through the formulas and inspiration for both colour looks. The first bold look was titled Dusty Millennial Pink, the amalgamation of bright pinks into lavender tones to suit the layers and movement of the cut, as created by both colourists. The second colour look, created by Carolyn, used the combination of a subtle money piece in the fringe to connect seamlessly through the surface with highlights through to the longer layers, all effortlessly merged into what was titled the Smokey Blend.
As Richard created the looks, he took questions from the intimate gathering and offered unparalleled and pertinent insights. From a technical perspective, he spoke about creating shape and how short cutting techniques and transformations are becoming very popular in salon and on social media. Instructing on the importance of taking the time to map out haircuts, he built techniques like the mullet into the first cut to showcase the way trends are coming back around in fresh ways.
Building on his social media expertise, he discussed the power of video and reels and described content as currency. He motivated guests to think young, be adaptable and constantly pivot to stay relevant. In universal lessons for attendees, he spoke about the significance of consultations, no matter how long you’ve been cutting that client’s hair and taught to communicate with clients visually and gauge from their fashion sense. In broader artistic insights, he highlighted the significance of disciplined foundational techniques and how important it is to work with the hair, not against it, ensuring cuts are more seamlessly maintained for clients.
The Q&A with Duncan then touched on some of these points in greater detail, as Richard answered questions about career highlights, must-have products and much more. Outlining his major editorial tips and tricks, Richard also gave his advice in avoiding burn out and finding balance and talked about his travels in learning to work with diverse hair textures. He likened working with different textures to working with versatile fabrics, and how educational it is for hairdressers to expand their knowledge in this way.
Ending with a three-course lunch where guests enjoyed lavish dishes, picked from multi-coloured macaroons and discussed the dynamic presentations they had just witnessed, it was the ideal way to motivate the brand’s top partners for the busy season ahead.
For more information visit www.sabrehaircare.com.au
Catch up with INSTYLE and Styleicons!
- Subscribe to our bi-monthly magazine
- Check out www.styleicons.com.au
- Subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter
- View our digital magazine
- Follow us on social media on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn