Intercoiffure America/Canada (ICA) Spring Conference Held in South Beach

It wasn’t just another hair show in Miami when celebrity artists and the industry’s most successful salon owners gathered recently for a full two-day program of creative presentations and business workshops. What made Intercoiffure’s Spring Symposium unique, one of Intercoiffure America/Canada’s two annual events, was the exceptional access to the industry’s top talent.

“Our members attend the Symposium to meet other owners and artists who are as passionate and driven as themselves,” says Lois Christie, President, Intercoiffure, America/Canada (ICA). “Certainly, the presentations and workshops are superb. But the sharing of knowledge and ideas face-to-face with professionals like Gina Kahn or Vivienne Mackinder is exhilarating.”

Elemental Energy: Vivienne Mackinder Brings
the Abstract to Life in Her New Spring Trend Collection

 

As Fashion Director for Intercoiffure America/Canada, Vivienne Mackinder already created some memorable collections in which she’s drawn upon the romance of classic styles and couture to showcase her technical wizardry. Her newest work, “Shadows & Shapes,” brings abstract architectural shapes to life in bold, yet surprisingly feminine hair designs.

“I love the power of a strong silhouette,” says Mackinder, who created these styles for Intercoiffure ICA.

“When creating strong shapes, we must never forget the beauty factor. We must remember that clever techniques, gimmicks and avant-garde designs only work if the final result is gorgeous.”

“For years I have followed the principles of da Vinci’s ‘golden ratio’ as a framework for balance, proportion, and beauty, she continues. “Our business is all about illusions: We either disguise or enhance a feature, and this is where the ‘golden ratio’ kicks in. It’s all about the smaller shape’s relationship to the larger shape, while retaining the same proportion as the larger shape is to the whole.” 

Mackinder uses various styling and texturing techniques to produce a wide range of variations on the same basic cut. “So many women and stylist fear cutting hair short. ‘Shadows & Shapes’ demonstrates that a well-balanced shape complementing the bone structure can be feminine and beautiful, no matter what the length is.”

Mackinder and her team shot the collection in black and white , as well as color. “As an artist, I love the mystery of black and white. I believe that black and white images endure the fleeting whims of fashion. Having said this, I also like the color story.”

Jo Blackwell-Preston, Co-Director of ICA’s Haircolor Council, served as colorist for the collection. “Jo brought my designs to life by using color to accent key focal point, adding more interest and dimension to each shape through the use of ombre and color slices,” enthuses Mackinder. “A cut without color is like looking at life through a black and white lens. Her artist’s brush added magic to these looks.”

All of the photographs in this post are from Vivienne Mackinder's "Shadows & Shapes" collection for Intercoiffure. The collection was shot by photographer Roberto Ligresti. Hair styling was by Vivienne Mackinder, and fellow Intercoiffure member Jo Blackwell-Preston of Dop-Dop Salon in New York collaborated on hair color. David Widjaja served as fashion stylist, and David Maderich was makeup artist on the shoot.

I have been a proud member of Intercoiffure for 25 years. My staff and I attend Intercoiffure Symposiums in order to learn from the industry’s best and to stay on the cutting edge of hair fashion and to be able to offer our clients the latest style trends and advanced techniques in hair artistry. 

Intercoiffure America/Canada is an association of the beauty industry’s elite – more than 200 salon owners employing more than 27,500 employees. The annual sales volume for an Intercoiffure member ranges from $1.5 million to $85 million. In addition to their economic clout, Intercoiffure members set the creative and quality standards for the industry.

Until next week…ciao!