Salon Magazine, January/February 2024

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Contessa 2024 Winners

JA N UA RY + F E B RUA RY 2 0 2 4

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January+February 2024 48 TE A M CONTE SSA 35

Si’lat

Learn how Wella Company and Sebastian international artist Omar Antonio was inspired by the desert and witches for his presentation, which featured his signature, out-of-this-world headpieces and wardrobe made of hair.

50 TE A M CONTE SSA 35

Jon Paul Holt Tribute

14 CONTESSA 2024 HAIRSTYLIST OF THE YEAR. NICOLE PEDE, INSTYLE SALON & SPA, AYLMER, ONT.

“You won’t always [win], but you have to keep pushing because maybe the next time you enter, you’ll create what the judges are looking for. You just have to do it for fun and keep trying.”

— CONTESSA 2024 WINNER, CANADIAN HAIRSTYLIST OF THE YEAR, NICOLE PEDE, INSTYLE SALON & SPA, AYLMER, ONT. ON THE COVER: CONTESSA 2024 WINNER, CANADIAN HAIRSTYLIST OF THE YEAR, NICOLE PEDE, INSTYLE SALON & SPA, AYLMER, ONT., MAKEUP & NAILS: JESSICA BENNER WARDROBE STYLING: NICOLE PEDE, PHOTO: PAULA TIZZARD

Discover how the Contessa Awards paid homage to the late legendary hairstylist, salon owner and mentor, Jon Paul Holt, with a show opener by a dream team of Canadian hairstylists and beauty pros.

52 GA L A

Meet the Winners and Presenters

Put a face to the name and see who came out on top at the 2024 Contessa Awards, along with this year’s sponsors and presenters.

54 C O C K TA I L PA R T Y

Time to Mingle

We love to get the party started early with our Contessa Awards cocktail reception, which featured fun and Instagrammable sponsor activations, a red carpet and more!

56 A F T E R PA R T Y

Party On!

In case you missed it, Matrix and Redken sponsored the official 35th annual Contessa Awards afterparty, which featured photo opportunities, a candy bar and more. salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 7

14

42

Canadian Hairstylist of the Year

Canadian Nail Artist Angelica Francia Nail Fix in the 6ix, Toronto, Ont.

Nicole Pede InStyle Salon & Spa, Aylmer, Ont.

16

Canadian Salon Team Salon Pure, Montreal, Que.

43

Makeup Artist

48

Marika D’Auteuil Marika D’Auteuil, Montreal, Que.

OMA R A NTONIO FOR W E L L A C OMPA N Y

18

44

Erin Fernandes Bon Bon Salon, London, Ont.

Salon Olivine Lethbridge, Alta.

Canadian Colourist

20

Elite Master Hairstylist Michelle Pargee Independent, Sechelt, B.C.

22

Master Colourist

Tina Casciato Renaissance Salon & Estetica, St. Catharines, Ont.

24

Session Hairstylist Janet Jackson JouJou Hair Studio, Etobicoke, Ont.

26

Multicultural Hairstylist Martin Menard Salon La Loge, Québec, Que.

28

Collaboration

Heidi Kenney, Francis Bouchard & Derrick Rutherford

30

International Hairstylist Danilo Giangreco Danilo Hair Boutique, London, U.K.

Salon Interior Design

45 31

Texture Hairstylist

Lukas Press Lukas Press Hair Studio, Toronto, Ont.

32

Avant Garde Hairstylist Mamak Tabatabaei Red Carpet Hair Salon, Toronto, Ont.

33

Emerging Hairstylist Sharday Walker Hairology Studio, Winnipeg, Man.

34

Emerging Colourist Sayyeda Mulla Xtophers Salons, Vancouver, B.C.

35

British Columbia Hairstylist

Jag Moussa JagHed Couture, Victoria

36

Alberta Hairstylist

Breanne Gershon Glam Breanne, Calgary

8 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

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Saskatchewan/ Manitoba Hairstylist Tanja Unrau Hairology Studio, Winnipeg, Man.

38

Ontario Hairstylist Jenny Bell Headlines Salon, Stouffville

39

Quebec Hairstylist Francis Bouchard Salon Sans Bon Sens, Montreal

40

Atlantic Hairstylist Chelsea Sutherland Chelsea Laine Salon and Colour Bar, New Glasgow, N.S.

41

Men’s Hairstylist

Marilyn Vendittelli Industry Hair and Esthetics, St. Catharines, Ont.

John Steinberg Award for Community Service Aveda Institute Winnipeg Winnipeg, Man.

46

Freestyle

Suzanne Maurice Changing of the Garnet, Orillia, Ont.

10

Editor’s Letter

58 W H AT ’ S N E W

Hairlines

Ring in the new year with a new routine! Check out the latest product launches in haircare, colour, styling and more.

62

Events + Scoop

66 SA LON SOCI A L

Spotted at #Contessa2024

See our roundup of social media posts from the 35th annual Contessa Awards.

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Salon Magazine ISSN 1197-1495, VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 SALONMAGAZINE.CA

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Veronica Boodhan veronica@salonmagazine.ca

Editor’s Letter —

ART DIRECTOR Barbara Burrows DIGITAL SPECIALIST Shanice Romelus shanice@salonmagazine.ca CONTRIBUTORS Corinna Reeves

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Marc Gadbois marc@salonmagazine.ca SALES & EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Lauren Farrugia lauren@salonmagazine.ca PRODUCTION MANAGER Alan Swinton production@salonmagazine.ca OFFICE MANAGER Cathy Donaghy cathy@salonmagazine.ca

Unforgettable Moments

Veronica Boodhan Editorial Director

10 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & PUBLISHER Tom Arkell tom@salonmagazine.ca

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PHOTOGRAPH BY ALVARO GOVEIA, HAIR AND MAKEUP BY DIANACARREIRO

When our team spends all year planning the biggest night in Canadian professional beauty, it goes without saying that the Contessa Awards truly mean the world to us.

While the evening is about celebrating the winners and finalists, it’s also a reminder of how lucky we all are to be part of such a creative and talented industry. The quality of work seen in our entries continues to get better and better each year. Although there can only be one winner, all entrants should feel immensely proud of what they’ve accomplished.

For us at Salon, we feel incredibly fortunate to have the support of so many of you from across Canada and around the world. We extend a big thank you to our sponsors for their unwavering commitment to us.

Whether you attended the Canadian Hairstylist of the Year Awards as a finalist, sponsor, colleague or supporter, we hope that you enjoy reminiscing about the event in this issue—our January + February Contessa collector’s edition.

There are always a few standout moments at the Contessas, but this year was on another level! We were honoured to have so many outstanding presentations grace the Contessa stage, from the incredible show opener that paid tribute to the legendary Jon Paul Holt—which was put together by some of the biggest names in Canadian hairstyling—to avant-garde master Omar Antonio, whose out-of-this-world creations made their collective debut for the first time. Go behind the scenes of these presentations, beginning on page 48.

In addition, it was quite special for us to have award-winning hairstylist Palma N’Sheluvzit join our beloved, long-time master of ceremonies Bill Rowley as our cohost this year in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Contessa Awards.

I also had the opportunity to meet world-renowned hairstylist Antoinette Beenders, who made the trip to Canada for the first time in 20 years to attend the Contessas! I sat down with the award-winning hairstylist the day after the gala, so stay tuned for her interview in our next issue.

As I look back on 2023, the word “gratitude” comes to mind. I’m thankful for not only the opportunities, experiences and memories from this past year but also the lessons learned. Looking forward to what’s next!

CIRCULATION MANAGER Adrian Holland helpdesk@subscriptions.salon

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11 salonmagazine.ca / September 2020

SalonMagazine

Whether you missed out on the biggest celebration in Canadian professional beauty or want to relive the night, check out our full video from the 35th annual Contessa Awards gala.

Big and Bold Get the inspiration you’re craving from our editorial archive, which features collections with fashionforward cuts, breathtaking styles and striking colour placements from hairstylists around the world.

New Beginnings The new year means new opportunities!

Browse our industry job board for postings from across Canada.

Subscribe Now

12 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

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NOW TRENDING Stay ahead of the curve by exploring our how-tos for recreating the latest hair trends.

PHOTOS: HAIR: MICHELLE SUMMERS DAVIES, MICHELLE DAVIES HAIR, U.K., MAKEUP: DREW SULEMAN, PHOTO: NARITA SAVOOR, HAIR: SAM VILLA TEAM, MAKEUP: TERESA ROMERO, PHOTO: ALEJANDRO OSMA

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Grab Your Popcorn!

CO NTE SSA 35

For the full winning collections, visit salonmagazine.ca

Nicole Pede @nmpede

Contessa Winners —

InStyle Salon & Spa Aylmer, Ont.

CANADIAN HAIRSTYLIST OF THE YEAR Inspiration “Typically for my collections, I stick with bolder colours, lines, shapes and cuts. This year, I wanted to embrace other textures. In past years, I’ve had inspiration, but for this collection, I didn’t have a starting point; I just played with certain things and went with what worked together, and I think that comes with experience. Having an inspiration when you’re first starting out is a really good thing, but sometimes it’s just nice to be creative and see where the look and the colours go. I tried to make all of the looks cohesive based on the colours I used.”

CONTESSA 2024 CANADIAN HAIRSTYLIST Nicole Pede, InStyle Salon & Spa, Aylmer, Ont.

14 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP & NAILS Jessica Benner WARDROBE STYLING Nicole Pede PHOTOS Paula Tizzard

Elevating Your Craft “My work behind the chair is very much your bread-andbutter clientele and those typical cuts and colours that you see. What I do with my shoots isn’t typically what I tend to do behind the chair since shooting allows me to be more creative, to step outside of the box and to do different things that I want to do or see. It also helps to push other aspects of my career like education. I travel around Canada to teach, and I find that competing helps to push that in terms of getting more bookings and people wanting to learn from me.”

“THIS CATEGORY CHALLENGES ME BECAUSE I’M COMPETING WITH THE BEST OF THE BEST. AS A FINALIST, THERE’S ALWAYS A CHANCE THAT YOU MAY WIN, BUT THE WORK THIS YEAR WAS OVER THE TOP, SO THAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE EXCITING.” salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 15

Salon Pure @salonpuremtl

Contessa Winners —

Salon Pure Montreal, Que.

CANADIAN SALON TEAM OF THE YEAR Inspiration “This collection is called Aeternum, from the Latin word for ‘eternity.’ What we were trying to portray was that every image should still be fashionable in 10 years— something that was fashionforward yet classic, which isn’t easy to achieve.”

— Anna Pacitto History Repeating Itself “It was 25 years ago when we first won this award. At the time, our salon was only four months old and, 25 years later, we’re still going strong. What works between us is that we each have our strengths. When you create collections, especially with a team, it makes you strive for perfection and excellence.”

— Anna Pacitto Always Learning “It’s fantastic to win, but you’re competing, so you have to be ready to win and lose. We have so much fun learning and creating together in the salon. We share everything.”

— Daniel Benoît

CONTESSA 2024 SALON TEAM Salon Pure, Montreal, Que.

16 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Ekaterina Ulyanoff & Nathan Archambo WARDROBE STYLING Florence O. Durand PHOTOS Brian Ypperciel

Contessa Winners —

“ “THE CONTESSA AWARDS PUT US ON THE MAP AND WE WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL. [WINNING] ALWAYS FEELS NEW BECAUSE IT NEVER GETS OLD.”

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 17

Erin Fernandes @erinklfernandes

Contessa Winners —

Bon Bon Salon London, Ont.

CANADIAN COLOURIST OF THE YEAR Inspiration “I didn’t have an inspiration for this collection. I created one look first, which was my green look, and I built the other looks around that.

I sent photos of the first look to my photographer, Natasha, who was able to see a pattern in the image and encouraged me to stick with cooler colours—still warm but on the cooler side. When I create collections, it’s based on which colours speak to me and I go from there.”

Personal Growth “As I’ve aged, my clients have aged with me. I have mostly women clients, and consistency is important for a lot of busy women, so keeping their colours consistent is beautiful and brings in money, but it doesn’t allow me to flex that creative side of myself. I love immersing myself in the creative process and it’s all about me, my time and what I want to create. My skill set has grown so much. I’ve pushed personal boundaries and I’m able to believe in myself. It has also helped me to overcome fear, and I feel more confident in my creative abilities.”

CONTESSA 2024 CANADIAN COLOURIST Erin Fernandes, Bon Bon Salon, London, Ont.

18 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Kim Creton WARDROBE STYLING Erin Fernandes PHOTOS Natasha Gerschon

Contessa Winners —

“COMPETING AND CREATING COLLECTIONS FUELS THIS DEEP CREATIVE PART OF ME THAT NEEDS TO BE LET OUT. I JUST LOVE IT.”

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 19

Michelle Pargee @michellepargee

Contessa Winners —

Independent Sechelt, B.C.

ELITE MASTER HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “I work with a very talented makeup artist, Timothy Hung, who does these amazing graphic eyes. I based my inspiration on the clean lines that he wanted to create for the makeup. I wanted the whole collection to be very simple, clean, beautiful and bright. We called this collection Gaze because it’s all about the eyes.”

Winning her 12th Contessa “This one means a lot to me.

I’ve entered [Elite Master Hairstylist] quite a few times and never won. I’ve been a finalist in this category [several] times, so this is very special to me. It was a bucket-list item to me and really meant something [to win].”

CONTESSA 2024 ELITE MASTER HAIRSTYLIST Michelle Pargee Independent, Sechelt, B.C.

20 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP, NAILS & WARDROBE STYLING Timothy Hung PHOTOS Gary Liu

Paying It Forward “Mentoring has been my focus for many years. I refer to it as my heart outside of my body. Winning is wonderful and I’m very grateful, but there’s nothing like the feeling of coaching or mentoring someone and watching them achieve a goal, so I really want to focus on that for a couple of years, but I’ll be back. I just feel like mentorship is where I want to be right now. I think that everybody should give back.”

“IT’S ALWAYS SUCH AN AMAZING FEELING [TO WIN]. EVERYONE’S WORK IS SO GOOD, SO I FEEL HONOURED. IT NEVER FAILS TO SURPRISE ME AND THE FACT THAT ANYONE LIKES WHAT I DO. I LOVE IT—IT’S JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL INDUSTRY THAT WE WORK IN.”

Tina Casciato @tinacasciato

Contessa Winners —

Renaissance Salon & Estetica St. Catharines, Ont.

MASTER COLOURIST Inspiration “Since this was my first collection [for the Contessa Awards], it was just about doing colours that I knew made me extremely happy to work with. By using blues and yellows, I knew that I was going to be happy with the collection no matter what. With the colours and shapes of the hair, it started to feel more ocean inspired and tropical, with a mythicalsea-creature vibe. My son absolutely loves the colour teal, so he asked me to use that colour and it kind of fit with the colours I was going with anyway.”

Competitive Edge “I’ve been entering [Kao’s] Color Zoom and Global Creative Awards since around 2017. Going through that process really inspired me to want to do more than a onephoto entry, so I think I was gearing up for entering the Contessas. I was collecting thoughts and ideas on how I would approach this. The pandemic derailed it a bit, but I decided that [this year] would be when I did something for me, so the nomination [to enter this category] alone already made my year.”

CONTESSA 2024 MASTER COLOURIST Tina Casciato, Renaissance Salon & Estetica, St. Catharines, Ont.

22 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Mikey Shannon PHOTOS Natasha Gerschon

“I LOVED ALL OF THE COLLECTIONS IN THIS CATEGORY, SO I’M VERY THRILLED. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I’VE WANTED TO DO FOR SO LONG BUT, FOR SOME REASON, I NEVER HAVE. I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!”

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 23

Janet Jackson @janetjacksonhairstylist

Contessa Winners —

JouJou Hair Studio Etobicoke, Ont.

SESSION HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “My collection is about going back to the beauty of braids.

Braids have been around for a long time, and we’re seeing them in new, innovative ways.

I just wanted to show them in a different light—I wanted to show the creativity and intricacy behind braids and the different way that you could use them.”

Importance of Session Work “I love session styling and any kind of creative photo shoots where your ideas and creations come together and are brought to life. I love the fact that I can come up with an idea and get together with a photographer, makeup artist and [wardrobe] stylist and they just bring it to a whole new level. It’s beautiful and really what keeps me going in this industry.”

CONTESSA 2024 SESSION HAIRSTYLIST Janet Jackson, JouJou Hair Studio, Etobicoke, Ont.

24 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Viktor Peters WARDROBE STYLING Savannah Finch PHOTOS Daniel Lastres

Never Giving Up “There are so many young people and stylists who look like me, so [the Contessa Awards] gives them the opportunity to be inspired and hope to work towards winning awards like this. My message to everyone is to keep going. I’ve been going after this award for some time, so [winning] is a great reward for all of the hard work and patience.”

“[THE CONTESSA AWARDS] GIVE US SOMETHING TO WORK TOWARD. IT’S GREAT TO CELEBRATE US AS ARTISTS, AND IT’S IMPORTANT TO JUST BE RECOGNIZED. HAVING A PLATFORM LIKE THIS GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE OUR WORK AND THE FACT THAT WE CAN DO IT AND THE BEAUTY BEHIND IT.”

CONTESSA 2023 SESSION HAIRSTYLIST OF THE YEAR

Anica Iordache, Modmop Hairdressing, Ottawa, Ont. MAKEUP Anthonia Bejide WARDROBE STYLING Anique Gagnon PHOTOS Salma Jamal

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 25

Martin Menard @mart.menard

Contessa Winners —

Salon La Loge Québec, Que.

MULTICULTURAL HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “I get inspired from so many places. It’s just patterns that we see in the things that surround us. For this collection, I wanted to take very simple geometric shapes to another level. When you look at the collection, you’ll see a triangle, a square and a circle. For each look, each colour and cut are made with the corresponding shape.

For example, for the triangle look, I used triangular cuts and colour techniques. I kept the collection very simple but pushed it a little further with the design.”

CONTESSA 2024 MULTICULTURAL HAIRSTYLIST Martin Menard, Salon La Loge, Quebec, Que.

26 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Josianne Bourque WARDROBE STYLING & PHOTOS ArtMood Visualz

Taking a Stance “Our industry is changing, and we have so many cultures in Canada. There is a lot of diversity within my family and friendships; all of the models in this collection are actually my friends. Because of this, entering Multicultural Hairstylist and working with my friends as the models felt obvious to me. [When working with different hair textures], I think the best way to learn is to just try. In order to understand how different textures work, you have to make mistakes. You have to understand why curly hair can’t be cut the same way as straight hair, so the best way to practise is to try it, make mistakes and learn from them.”

“IT TOOK YEARS AND YEARS OF PRACTICE TO GET MY CRAFT TO A LEVEL THAT I WAS PROUD OF SHARING WITH THE CONTESSA AWARDS, SO FOR ME, IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE.” salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 27

Contessa Winners —

Heidi Kenney, Francis Bouchard & Derrick Rutherford @heidikenneyhair

@franci6666

@derrick_rutherford

COLLABORATION Inspiration “I had been saving a Pinterest board about this concept of what these young travellers would look like when they grew up, were successful and had money. Would they lose their bohemian look or just get more bougie? I pitched this idea, and the guys had so many ideas for the hair. We started off individually, splitting up our concepts and which ones we wanted to work on, but by the end of the day, it seemed like our hands were in everything.”

— Heidi Kenney Having History “Heidi and I have been working with Matrix for 28 years, and I mentored Francis, so it was great [to work together] because we didn’t really push each other. We come from three completely different backgrounds—Heidi with the way she chooses her colours and backgrounds, the way I cut hair and the way Francis styles hair—so it all kind of melted together.” — Derrick Rutherford

CONTESSA 2024 COLLABORATION Heidi Kenney, Francis Bouchard & Derrick Rutherford

28 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Marie-Laure Larrieu WARDROBE STYLING Pascal & Jeremie PHOTOS ArtMood Visualz

Family Matters “It was kind of challenging because we all have different styles, so we had a lot of ups and downs, but that’s what family is. Collaboration is like family. We agree to disagree, but in the end, I think our collection brings all of our personalities together.”

— Francis Bouchard

Contessa Winners —

“LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR AND BE OPEN-MINDED. DON’T THINK YOU’RE GOING TO GET IT ON THE FIRST SHOT BECAUSE [YOUR CREATIVE VISION] DEVELOPS AND GROWS. LET IT HAPPEN AND DON’T FIGHT IT. TRUST THE PROCESS.” — Derrick Rutherford

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 29

Danilo Giangreco @danilogiangreco_hair

Contessa Winners —

Danilo Hair Boutique London, U.K.

INTERNATIONAL HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “This collection doesn’t have a specific inspiration in terms of shapes or colours.

It all started earlier this year, when I was reading a book called Ikigai. It’s about an ancient Japanese philosophy that inspires people to find what they’re good at. I think I found my “ikigai” in shaping and manipulating [hair].

When it comes to session work and creating these crazy shapes, most often it’s not super polished because I think that’s my style—I like things to be a little raggedy and a little wispy. I think that’s what the collection is about—it’s me feeling really good about doing the hair that I love.”

CONTESSA 2024 INTERNATIONAL HAIRSTYLIST Danilo Giangreco, Danilo Hair Boutique, London, U.K.

30 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Kylie O’Toole WARDROBE STYLING Anthony Capon PHOTO Andrew O’Toole

Fierce Competition “I’ve been keeping an eye on the Contessa Awards for a few years now. I saw people like Mark Leeson, Danny Pato and my good friend Rick Roberts, who won last year.

I didn’t think my collections were strong enough to enter into the Contessas. I flew all the way to Australia to shoot with the amazing Andrew O’Toole and, this year, I finally had a collection that made me say ‘This is amazing.’ The way I see it, it’s my best work to date, so when [I found out] I was the winner, it was a very happy moment.”

Lukas Press Lukas Press Hair Studio Toronto, Ont.

@lukaspress_

Contessa Winners —

TEXTURE HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “When I create any collection, it’s important for me to have a storyline because that’s how I get inspired. When somebody looks at my photos, I want to invite them on a journey with me. For this collection, it was a journey underwater.

I was inspired and fascinated by the idea of how hair would look underwater, as well as sirens [and sea creatures]. I really thought about how hair looks underwater, and that’s how I came up with each of my looks. For one of the looks specifically, I was inspired by seahorses, and I wanted to create the shape of them within the hair.”

CONTESSA 2024 TEXTURE HAIRSTYLIST Lukas Press, Lukas Press Hair Studio, Toronto, Ont.

MAKEUP Becky Grimman WARDROBE STYLING Rashi Bindra PHOTO Mollie Pie

Looking Through a Different Lens “When I’m working on set [as a film and television hairstylist], I love getting to work with the team and the actors to design the hair for each individual character. However, when I’m competing, it really allows me to express and challenge myself and to produce my own vision and bring that to life. On set, I have the actors and producers telling me what types of looks they want, but when I’m creating collections and competing, that allows me to be my own director and producer. I can create the vision that I see for the collection.” salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 31

Mamak Tabatabaei @mamaktaba

Contessa Winners —

Red Carpet Hair Salon Toronto, Ont.

AVANT GARDE HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “I’ve been a hairstylist for many years and I have always been inspired by peacocks—I just think they’re beautiful.

Peacocks are very vibrant, with lots of textures, colours and dimensions. This was challenging to do—avantgarde hair makes you think ahead about what you’re doing. It’s art—the next level of being a hairstylist. I love a challenge, so I wanted to challenge myself and my team.”

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work “I didn’t do this on my own.

My daughter, Sarina, works with me—plus Fariba and Shirin from our salon. It was also such an honour to work with Babak. He’s Iranian [like myself], and he really knows his stuff. He’s amazing! I had a great experience with him— and it won’t be the last.”

FUN FACT NOT ONLY WAS MAMAK TABATABAEI THE HAIRSTYLIST AND MAKEUP ARTIST FOR HER WINNING COLLECTION BUT SHE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE MODELS (PICTURED HERE)!

CONTESSA 2024 AVANT GARDE HAIRSTYLIST Mamak Tabatabaei, Red Carpet Hair Salon, Toronto, Ont.

32 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Mamak Tabatabaei PHOTO Babak

Sharday Walker Hairology Studio Winnipeg, Man.

@sharstylescurls

Contessa Winners —

EMERGING HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “Going into this collection, I had very minimal to no inspiration. For the colour and shape of the wig, I was kind of thinking Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. I really just wanted a fierce, stunning look with very simple makeup. I ended up making one wig and working with it three different ways on set.

I created the looks as I went along, which I felt was more organic and natural. It felt really good to be creative in the moment instead of planning everything. It was really a time for me to express my creativity naturally, which I really loved doing.”

CONTESSA 2024 EMERGING HAIRSTYLIST Sharday Walker, Hairology Studio, Winnipeg, Man.

MAKEUP Julie Le WARDROBE STYLING Sharday Walker PHOTO Réjean Brandt

Advice for Fellow Emerging Hairstylists “As hairstylists, I think a lot of us come into the industry because of our creativity, so it’s really nice to do editorial work so you can be creative and do what you want to do.

A lot of times, when I talk to hairstylists who haven’t competed before, a lot of it is nerves and they’re worried that they won’t make it [to finals or win], or that people won’t like their work. But, honestly, just go for it! It’s the best—you meet so many people and have a lot of fun.

It’s so worth it.”

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 33

Sayyeda Mulla @hairbysay

Contessa Winners —

Xtophers Salons Vancouver, B.C.

EMERGING COLOURIST Inspiration “My collection was inspired by rainbows. I really wanted to focus on a multicultural aspect. Myself and my whole team [for this collection]— from my makeup artist to my photographer to the models— are of Asian descent, so I felt that it was so important to showcase. Also, I feel like you don’t really see a lot of that rainbow aspect in Asian cultures, so I really wanted to tie that all together.”

Being the Contessa’s First-Ever Emerging Colourist Winner “I’m amazed and thankful.

I never thought this would happen! Competing has taught me so much about my career, and I feel like it has helped me improve as a stylist. I learned how to style hair better—there are things that you see behind the camera that you don’t get to see behind the chair.

These details really matter.

While [the photo shoot] was a stressful experience for me, it was a lot of fun and I got to meet a lot of amazing people.”

CONTESSA 2024 EMERGING COLOURIST Sayyeda Mulla, Xtophers Salons, Vancouver, B.C.

34 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Joy Castillo PHOTO Sharon Chien

Jag Moussa JagHed Couture Victoria

@jaghedcouture

Contessa Winners —

BRITISH COLUMBIA HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “I wanted to create a collection with colours that were happy and uplifting.

I used the same colours, techniques and execution for each look because I wanted to be very clear with my message. I looked at the photos I created and felt that they were very inspiring, happy and beautiful. They made themselves; I was just a vessel for them.”

Importance of Competitions “I don’t think it’s necessarily about the win; it’s about encouraging people out there to strive for greatness.

It’s not about a trophy; it’s about bettering yourself. The finalists in these categories are bettering themselves, and we’re all bettering ourselves just by entering. That’s why I do this, but also I can’t not make art—I have to.”

CONTESSA 2024 BRITISH COLUMBIA HAIRSTYLIST Jag Moussa, JagHed Couture, Victoria

MAKEUP Angie Balbon WARDROBE STYLING Jag Moussa PHOTO Matthew McCormick

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 35

Breanne Gershon @glam.breanne

Contessa Winners —

Glam Breanne Calgary

ALBERTA HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “I was inspired by the colour red. I had a feeling that it was going to be the colour of the year, so I based everything off of the colour and I wanted to add in shapes to the collection as well.”

Being a Contessa AwardWinning Makeup Artist and Hairstylist “It was always my dream to do both, so to actually do it, I can’t believe it. It really does mean the world to me. As hairstylists and makeup artists, we’re a very passionate breed, and I feel like we compete for us. We do everything for our clients and students (I’m a teacher now).

We do so much for others that this creative journey is for us. That’s why I do it— because I love it!

CONTESSA 2024 ALBERTA HAIRSTYLIST Breanne Gershon, Glam Breanne, Calgary

36 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP & WARDROBE STYLING Breanne Gershon PHOTO Rachel Senneker & Paula Tizzard

Tanja Unrau Hairology Studio Winnipeg, Man.

@hairstylesbytanja

Contessa Winners —

SASKATCHEWAN/ MANITOBA HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “I knew that I wanted to incorporate platinum and pink.

I didn’t know exactly how I was going to do that, so I started with my wavy look and played around with the colour. I used a water and colour technique, dipping the hair to create a watercolour effect.

After that, I let my creativity flow. I knew I wanted a simple collection with clean lines, but I created all of the looks in a way that I wouldn’t normally work behind the chair. Because all of my looks have a similar colour scheme, I wanted to show three different textures and styles within the collection. I think it shows that there are so many different hair types that we work with, and it’s important to learn how to work with all of them.”

CONTESSA 2024 SASKATCHEWAN/ MANITOBA HAIRSTYLIST Tanja Unrau, Hairology Studio, Winnipeg, Man.

MAKEUP Julie Le WARDROBE STYLING Tanja Unrau PHOTO Réjean Brandt

Pushing Herself “I’ve been part of a lot of Contessa shoots with [Contessawinning hairstylist and owner of Hairology Studio] Josie Vilay. For many years, I was telling myself that I should enter. I kept pushing it off, but I always had so much fun helping out with them. This year, I finally decided to enter.

Competing really pushed me to be creative in other ways than I normally am behind the chair.

I think it pushes your brain in a different direction. You have to think outside of the box, and it’s just a good way to challenge yourself.”

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 37

Jenny Bell @jennybellhair

Contessa Winners —

Headlines Salon Stouffville

ONTARIO HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “I tend to base my collection off of my own feelings from the year. It always has a femininity to it—how a woman can be both soft and delicate, like a flower, but also strong and powerful. I wanted to capture that feeling in my collection.”

Try and Try Again “I’m always hopeful [about winning], but because there’s been so many times of getting my hopes up, I try not to [be too confident]. You never know because hair is like art: there are different judges every year, so you never know what their interpretation might be. Everyone I was up against had beautiful work. Competing keeps us motivated and inspired for ourselves and our clients.”

CONTESSA 2024 ONTARIO HAIRSTYLIST Jenny Bell, Headlines Salon, Stouffville

38 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Jenelle Green WARDROBE STYLING Lynn Fiorini PHOTO Giancarlo Intini

Francis Bouchard Salon Sans Bon Sens Montreal

@franci6666

Contessa Winners —

QUEBEC HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “The collection is called Boss Babe, and it’s an homage to all the boss ladies around the world. I’m so proud to be surrounded by amazing women, and I wanted to share this collection for female empowerment—we need to see more women in higher positions. I always choose my models first and create my looks after.”

Power of Perseverance “You fail more than you win, so if you really want to win, you get stronger and stronger every year [you enter]. Look at me: I won after entering four times! I said if I won this year, I would take a break to mentor and help someone else. I may enter again in two years or do another collaboration. I have a goal of winning Canadian Hairstylist of the Year one day, but right now, I want to just step back and enjoy the moment.”

CONTESSA 2024 QUEBEC HAIRSTYLIST Francis Bouchard, Salon Sans Bon Sens, Montreal

MAKEUP Ann-Frederic Tremblay WARDROBE STYLING Simon Venne PHOTO Garrett Naccarato

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 39

Chelsea Sutherland @chelsea.laine.stylist

Contessa Winners —

Chelsea Laine Salon and Colour Bar New Glasgow, N.S.

ATLANTIC HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “I’m mostly inspired by my peers. Seeing their work and knowing everything that they do in their lives, yet they still find the time, capacity and commitment to create.

I feel like it’s an assortment of inspiration from them, in addition to shapes, colours and textures in general that come to me in moments of peace and sometimes even in my dreams. It’s sort of coming from everywhere at once and it comes together.”

Expanding Your Reach “I feel like we need to forget about our population, where we’re coming from and what salons we have access to because it has nothing to do with that. What we have to give to this competition comes from inside of us, and it has nothing to do with if we’re from urban or rural areas. Just keep on competing and stay connected with the people that inspire you.”

CONTESSA 2024 ATLANTIC HAIRSTYLIST Chelsea Sutherland, Chelsea Laine Salon and Colour Bar, New Glasgow, N.S.

40 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Elle Munster PHOTO Denis Duquette

Marilyn Vendittelli Industry Hair and Esthetics St. Catharines, Ont.

@marilynvendittellihair

Contessa Winners —

MEN’S HAIRSTYLIST Inspiration “I wanted to create beautiful men’s hair but something that stood out more. Not your average hair behind the chair but something that made you want to look at it twice and see something different.”

Believing in Yourself “I have tried over and over and have been a [Men’s Hairstylist] finalist multiple times, which I’m so grateful for, but I just wanted the trophy, so it feels so amazing to finally hold it. Many years ago, my husband and I were told that no one would want to take a class from us and that we were just stylists behind the chair. I didn’t believe that. When you tell me no, I’m going to prove you wrong, so it’s just about being able to step outside the box and prove to ourselves that we know what we’re doing.”

CONTESSA 2024 MEN’S HAIRSTYLIST Marilyn Vendittelli, Industry Hair and Esthetics, St. Catharines, Ont.

MAKEUP Rachel Hilton WARDROBE STYLING David Vendittelli PHOTO Natasha Gerschon

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 41

Angelica Francia @thesultrysiren

Contessa Winners —

Nail Fix in the 6ix Toronto, Ont.

CANADIAN NAIL ARTIST Inspiration “The collection is made up of things that I’m interested in. My first look was inspired by geishas and was just something that I really liked the look of. My second look has animals on each nail and originally started out much simpler and didn’t have as much colour to it. I had originally wanted to do something that incorporated space, but I felt like the look was too plain, so I decided to incorporate Chinese zodiac signs. My last look has cars and the skyline. It really stood out to me and was the look that made me truly love my collection.”

CONTESSA 2024 CANADIAN NAIL ARTIST Angelica Francia, Nail Fix in the 6ix, Toronto, Ont.

42 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

PHOTO Richard Brady

Making Herself Proud “The nails that we create for competitions allow us to show our individuality, which was different for me since I’m not really one to put my ideas out there like that. I’m not used to it, but I found it to be a freeing experience.

The process of creating this collection was a struggle for me in the sense that my head was telling me that my work wasn’t good enough, so winning this award means a lot to me. I pushed really hard to create this collection, and it shows me that if I really push myself, I can do it.”

Marika D’Auteuil Marika D’Auteuil, Montreal, Que.

@lapetitevengeance

Contessa Winners —

MAKEUP ARTIST Inspiration “The models inspired me; they are always my first inspiration. For this collection, I wanted to go with bright colours. My models are such beautiful canvases, so the looks just came to mind and it went perfectly.”

Power of Makeup “It allows you to push yourself to really challenge and get out of your comfort zone. Competing is so important to your growth as an artist. Competing is always positive, and even if you don’t win, you learn, and that’s how you grow.”

CONTESSA 2024 MAKEUP ARTIST Marika D’Auteuil, Montreal, Que.

PHOTO Jabe

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 43

Salon Olivine @salonolivine

Contessa Winners —

Lethbridge, Alta.

SALON INTERIOR DESIGN Design Inspiration “Our focus was to create a friendly, inclusive and thoughtful guest experience.

We wanted a sophisticated and inviting space, but we also thought about the function of the space. We like a level of simplicity with comfort. We wanted a space that hairstylists would want to work in, a space our guests could feel comfortable in and a space that would reflect our personal vision.”

Importance of Inclusion “In university, I conducted a study in which we looked at the inclusivity within spaces.

In our salon, we tried to make sure we accounted for that in terms of body size, accessibility, barrier-free washrooms and things that make people feel included so that our space wasn’t just for the typical clients but for all. It’s not just about the attitude but also about the functionality.”

FUN FACT THE SALON’S NAME IS DERIVED FROM OLIVINE, A RAW MINERAL FORM OF THE PERIDOT GEMSTONE, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE STONE OF COMPASSION AND RENEWAL.

CONTESSA 2024 CANADIAN SALON INTERIOR DESIGN Salon Olivine, Lethbridge, Alta.

DESIGNER Chandra Laine Design Inc. PHOTO MJay Photography

Being in Business with Her Bestie, Aubrey Boehr “It’s funny because I was encouraged to not go into business with a friend, but I couldn’t see it any other way. I look out for her and love her! I think she’s the heartbeat of our salon. So, I would encourage others to go into business with someone you deeply care about.”

— MADISON WEBBER-BEGOVIC, CO-OWNER OF SALON OLIVINE

44 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

Winnipeg, Man.

Contessa Winners —

Aveda Institute Winnipeg @avedainstitutewinnipeg

JOHN STEINBERG AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE Cause “United Way is a great organization, and this is the first time they reached out to us about this event [Day of Caring]. It was quite the feat—we donated 125 haircuts in one day to underprivileged women in need. The team was a bit hesitant to take that on, but they stepped up to the challenge and we were able to get that done. For a lot of the women, this was the first time they had ever had a professional haircut. A lot of them were looking to re-enter the workforce, and we know that the way we look on the outside affects the way we feel on the inside, so it was nice to give them a boost of confidence before they went on to their job interviews.”

Stronger Together “[Giving back] is something that the school does on a regular basis. Finding ways to give back to the community is part of our mission at Aveda.

Our goal in the future is to build the Aveda community in Winnipeg and get others to participate.”

CONTESSA 2024 JOHN STEINBERG AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE Aveda Institute Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Man.

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 45

Suzanne Maurice @canadianhairdresser

Contessa Winners —

Changing of the Garnet Orillia, Ont.

FREESTYLE Inspiration “This model has an identical twin, and they both have very angelic hair. Anything you do to it just looks so sweet, so I decided to put her in some braids with some little puffs.

She was an angel.”

Giving Credit “I work with Giancarlo Intini for my photography, but he’s not only a photographer. He directs and guides you to help do everything that’s in your best interest. We were going through the thousands of pictures that we took and Giancarlo was the one who said that this image didn’t belong in any of my other collections because it was too unique and different. He thought it would be perfect for Freestyle, so I entered it and I’m glad that I did.”

Freedom of Freestyle “[This category] is a great starting point because there are no parameters.

Just do your best work, be as creative as you can and give yourself the space to discover what your imagination is capable of.”

CONTESSA 2024 FREESTYLE Suzanne Maurice, Changing of the Garnet, Orillia, Ont.

46 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

MAKEUP Rejeanne Maurice.

PHOTO Giancarlo Intini

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Team Contessa 35 — WELLA COMPANY

Si’lat For Wella Company’s 2024 Contessa Awards stage presentation, Sebastian international artist Omar Antonio showcased his unbelievable headpieces and dresses made entirely of hair. Go behind the scenes with the avant-garde artist extraordinaire to find out how he brought his vision to life, what inspires his creativity and more.

Antonio, who’s been doing hair for 24 years, says being asked to present at the Contessas was an honour. “This is my art and my passion,” he says. “Yes, I work in a salon and I teach, but how often do I get the chance to showcase 10 avant-garde looks, and, for the first time ever, build my own show? I love collaborating with other artists, but this opportunity felt like I won the lottery.”

—

“For the three spirits of the desert, I came up with a colour scheme,” he says. “So first, we have the desert in the morning with the sand, blue sky and desert flowers with hints of pink and auburn.

There are also little slivers of mirrors in the hair to represent the mirage. Then we have the desert as we know it with the orange sky and red sun. We have lots of reds, oranges and yellows, with hints of dark pink, and we put slivers of gold mirror. For the last one, we have the desert at midnight with purple, black, blue and little hints of mirror for the stars. All three hairpieces were built using the same techniques but in different shapes. I used a steel wire to build the cage and Sebastian’s Microweb Fiber to panel the hair across. It was important to me that these three were in form-fitting black dresses so the focus could be on the hair. For the other looks, we had very dark, strikingly beautiful, feminine, powerful dresses and headpieces. My first dress was made in 2013 and is Maleficentinspired. I wanted [to showcase both] elegance and anger in the dresses.”

48 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

PHOTOS: KEVIN WONG PHOTOGRAPHY

This presentation marked the stage debut of Omar Antonio’s creations as a full collection.

While he has previously showcased some of his creations together, this was the first time they all appeared onstage at the same time, including an exclusive look that was created specifically for the Contessas.

Rather than a typical hair or fashion runway show, Antonio opted for an approach inspired by Cirque du Soleil. “For three of my looks, I took inspiration from the desert sand, sun and nighttime sky,” he says. “We started with a dancer who’s a conjuring, voodoo, witchy thing. You can see it in his motions and he’s calling upon the three spirits of the desert. These three spirits have conjuring movements as well because they’re calling on the five Si’lats, which are these beautiful women who are in the middle of the desert and lure you in. They’re also shapeshifters, so they’re witchy spirits who can lure you in and then transform into another woman.”

When planning out his presentation, Antonio created mood boards that included photos, sketches and swatches of fabric.

“I’m always doodling,” he says. “I have a huge mood board, and I put these doodles up. Sometimes, things can be on it for 10 years before I get the opportunity to use them. I get inspiration all the time and from everything. I could be walking through a park and I’ll see a leaf and have an idea. I have a collection of thoughts and images on the mood board, and you’ll probably see that in a few years.”

With eight months of work and hundreds of hours dedicated to assembling the intricate headpieces and dresses, Antonio says every detail matters.

“This is my blood, sweat and tears,” he says. “There are certain elements that the audience won’t even see. All of the braiding we have to do for under the headpieces, a lot of it is covered. We even had nails and makeup created for this show. It was eight months of preparation for a six-minute show. If you blink, you could miss something, but I, being the perfectionist I am, wanted to create a moment for the audience.”

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 49

Team Contessa 35

Jon Paul Holt Tribute In a special show opener for the 35th annual Contessa Awards, award-winning Canadian hairstylists, makeup artists and beauty pros joined forces to pay homage to the legendary Jon Paul Holt. We chatted with the artists to learn about how they garnered inspiration from Holt’s final collection and pushed the envelope of avant-garde hairstyling to inspire others to rethink the boundaries of their creativity.

The show opener concluded with a presentation of the Contessa Hall of Fame award, which was received by Holt’s daughter, Chanel, and son, Spencer.

Contessa 2024 Makeup Artist of the Year Marika D’Auteuil and Ekaterina Ulyanoff worked on the makeup for each segment.

The avant-garde presentation was divided into two segments. The first was inspired by the Elizabethan era and other historical fashion, in honour of Holt’s final collection, led by his long-time creative director, Myles Laphen, and protégé, Tara-Lynn Fournier. “We already had a shoot planned for the week after he died,” says Laphen. “We wanted it to showcase fashion through the ages, all in white. I built on the costumes we already had, making them bigger, and added more to them for the sake of stage presence. This presentation is really about me showing my love to this man who really was a comet of joy and an amazing human being.”

50 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

The presentation’s second segment had a futuristic spin led by Norm Wright, Martin Hillier, Edwin Johnston, Anna Pacitto, Tony Ricci and Marlo Steenman. “Our look is something that we do a lot of with avant-garde, but it’s more high fashion and not fantasy,” says Ricci. “We’re all artists, and we’re all in different spectrums of the art world and working with different manufacturers, so I think this was the first presentation of its kind to have so many different artists collaborating together.”

Wright led the presentation and created the wardrobe, which was inspired by fashion designer Iris van Herpen with 3D printing and robotics.

“There’s no ego in here,” he says. “I can honestly say that everyone [working on this presentation] has made me want to be a better hairstylist at one point or another. We all reside under different umbrellas, but to be able to work together on the same stage is a real honour.”

PHOTO: KEVIN WONG PHOTOGRAPHY

“Jon Paul was always working on something, and he always had a collection on the go,” says Fournier. “He had kept his pieces so organized and labelled in storage, so we were able to just grab them. We did put our own twist on a few of them, but this is really Jon Paul’s last collection, coming together through the eyes of Myles and myself. I couldn’t think of any other way to pay tribute to him than with his own work.”

“For my look, specifically, and when I think about Jon Paul, I think about how he liked big, extravagant and avant-garde hair,” says Johnston. “I knew I had to go full avant-garde to honour him the right way. My look is bold, big and tall. I went through a lot of his old work.

I didn’t want to copy him, but he always had great structure and great colour, so I did those things.”

“Jon Paul Holt has been in the industry for so many years that we wanted to do something that emulated different periods,” says Hillier. “Looking at the decades of work that he has done, we tried to bring it together, where you take one layer off and you have a different layer underneath.

We tried to honour him and his work in an extended way rather than just one way.”

“I wanted to create something that brought the two ideas [of historical and futuristic] together,” says Pacitto, who created the show’s finale look. “[My model’s] dress has a very modern vibe and the hair has a traditional vibe, but, because the shape is two cones, so it has that futuristic element that marries the two ideas together.”

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 51

Meet the Winners and Presenters!

A big congratulations to all 2024 Contessa winners, and a special thank you to all our sponsors and presenters!

Lukas Press, Texture Hairstylist, presented by Troy Nahmiache of Great Lengths Canada.

Sharday Walker, Emerging Hairstylist, presented

by Sara Dickson and Zachary Ferguson of Wella Company.

Sayyeda Mulla, Emerging Colourist, presented by Carson Drake of L’Oréal Professionnel.

Mamak Tabatabaei, Avant Garde Hairstylist, presented by Vicky Filiatrault of Oligo Professionnel.

Angelica Francia, Canadian Nail Artist, presented by Barbara Fogleman of CND.

52 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

Jag Moussa, British Columbia Hairstylist, presented by Karlana Blakely of Matrix.

Michelle Pargee, Elite Master Hairstylist, presented by Lisa Dinh of Moroccanoil.

Derrick Rutherford, Heidi Kenney and Francis Bouchard, Collaboration, presented by Lucas Postigo-Rombola of Redken Canada.

Marika D’Auteuil, Makeup Artist, presented by Tracy Peart.

Chelsea Sutherland, Atlantic Hairstylist, presented by Nadara Budden of Goldwell.

Suzanne Maurice, Freestyle, presented

by Phil Horvath of Chatters.

Aveda Institute Winnipeg, recipient of the John Steinberg Award for Community Service, presented by Benjamin Raine of John Steinberg & Associates.

Martin Menard, Multicultural Hairstylist, presented by John Moroney of Olaplex.

Danilo Giangreco, International Hairstylist, presented by John Moroney and Jacob Schwartz of Olaplex.

Tina Casciato, Master Colourist, presented by Katrina Smiley of Redken Canada.

Jenny Bell, Ontario Hairstylist, presented by Sharon Mudavanhu of Joico Canada.

Janet Jackson, Session Hairstylist, presented by Gerard Caruso of milk_shake.

Breanne Gershon, Alberta Hairstylist, presented by Christine Geiger of Chatters.

Salon Olivine, Salon Interior Design, presented by Lorraine McAndrew of Sassoon Academy Toronto.

Tanja Unrau, Saskatchewan/Manitoba Hairstylist, presented by Joseph Gossen of Moroccanoil.

Marilyn Vendittelli, Men’s Hairstylist, presented by Tonya Hanna of American Crew.

Francis Bouchard, Quebec Hairstylist, presented by Ilan Cohen of Oligo Professionnel.

Erin Fernandes, Canadian Colourist, presented

by Déborah Trépy and Deanna Spielman of Wella Company.

Salon Pure, Canadian Salon Team, presented by Stéphan Arsenault of L’Oréal Group and Mark Sawchuk of SalonCentric Canada.

Nicole Pede, Canadian Hairstylist, presented by Megan Nevins of Joico.

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 53

Before the 35th annual Contessa Awards gala, attendees gathered for a pre-event cocktail reception, where they had the opportunity to reconnect, network, be interviewed on our red carpet (featuring special guest host Tracy Peart), as well as participate in sponsor activations featuring interactive photo booths, a candy bar and a live sketch artist.

PHOTOS: KEVIN WONG PHOTOGRAPHY

Cocktail Party —

Time to Mingle

54 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 55

At the official 2024 Contessa Awards after-party, sponsored by Matrix and Redken, winners, finalists and attendees kept the festivities going as they enjoyed some fun Instagrammable photo booths, indulged in a sweet candy bar and danced the night away! Here are a few of our favourite photos from this year’s bash.

PHOTOS: KEVIN WONG PHOTOGRAPHRY

After-Party —

Party On!

56 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 57

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58 salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024

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Strengthen, build and protect hair bonds with Joico’s KBOND20 Power Masque.

As the newest addition to Joico’s Defy Damage line, the KBOND20 Power Masque is the brand’s most powerful masque to date and helps to rebuild, strengthen and protect bonds for hair that’s five times stronger after just one use. Formulated with the brand’s K-PAK Keratin Technology for strength, a protective lipid that protects hair from pollution, 18 essential amino acids and moringa seed oil that’s rich in vitamins A and E, KBOND20 helps to detangle hair, provide rich hydration and even normalize the hair’s pH. Plus, it’s colour safe and not tested on animals.

Ideal for overprocessed hair, this new five-piece haircare range from Biolage helps build bonds from within for strands that are softer, smoother and more manageable. Each of the products is formulated with coconut oil to help nourish and condition while protecting the hair’s surface. They also contain citric acid, which acts as a repairing agent to help reinforce weakened bonds.

The Intensive Treatment offers a creamy formula for conditioning and helps to reduce breakage and the appearance of spilt ends. The SulfateFree Shampoo gently cleanses the hair and offers a low pH formula to nourish and prime the hair before conditioning. The Conditioning Foam is ideal for fine hair and features a creamy, lightweight formula that detangles hair without weighing it down. The Conditioner is ideal for medium to thick hair and helps to reduce breakage, improve manageability and smooth hair. The Smoothing Leave-In Cream helps to condition hair and control frizz while adding shine, improving breakage and offering heat protection up to 450°F. When used together, the products can help hair look and feel up to 16 times more conditioned while improving detangling by 11 times!

Hairlines — NEWS

On the Mend

Personal Touch Create a customized treatment to meet your clients’ hair needs with the Naturaltech Tailoring line from Davines.

ALL PRODUCTS ARE SILICONE-FREE AND INCLUDE CO2-NEUTRAL PACKAGING WITH LOW-ENERGY EXTRACTION METHODS.

With 24 different hair infusions, zero processing time and two service options, including a five-minute express service or a 15- to 30-minute Ritualistic service, Naturaltech Tailoring from Davines is an exclusive in-salon treatment that’s customizable to your clients’ individual hair needs. The line is comprised of four Serum Bases: Volume Base for fine or thinning hair; Moisture Base for dry and brittle hair; Radiance Base for colour-treated hair that needs a little extra shine; and Strength Base for damaged and fragile hair. In addition, there are six Regenerative Organic Boosters: Volumizing Booster for fine hair; Hydrating Booster for dry hair; Illuminating Booster for coloured hair; Fortifying Booster for damaged hair; Controlling Booster for unruly and frizzy hair; and Blonde Brightening Booster for blonde hair.

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Events —

Celebrating the He(Art) of Hair at Wella Company’s 2023 Beauty Envision Awards

| The event kicked off with a welcome dinner hosted by Wella Canada country manager, Marianne Medeiros, and sales director, Frank Bruno (pictured, left). “We have a great number in terms of representation of Canadians at this event,” says Medeiros. “Canadians always show up in a very big and strong way.”

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Hairstylists, colourists and beauty pros from across Canada, the U.S., and Puerto Rico travelled to Las Vegas for Wella Company’s The He(Art) of Hair and the 2023 Beauty Envision Awards. Held at Aria Resort & Casino, the immersive event was filled with inspiration from the company’s leading artists.

When & Where: October 30, Las Vegas

— For the Ultimate Blondes, Wella Professionals ambassador and chief blonding officer Zach Mesquit and brand ambassador Dereq Clark showcased the versatility of blondes on a wide range of hair types and textures.

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Throughout the night, Wella’s North American ambassadors and global artists presented inspiring runway looks that showcased their expertise in cutting, colour and styling.

— Yannis Rodocanachi, president of Wella Company, took

the stage with a welcome message for attendees: “You are the heart of hair. A community we want to nurture. It’s very important that we cherish it, and we want to do it with the tools that we provide, the products and our education.

Everything we can do to help.”

PHOTOS: WELLA COMPANY & SALON STAFF

The event was hosted by Carole Protat, senior director of brand education, artists & events for Wella Company. Attendees had the opportunity to mix and mingle while enjoying activations by Wella Company’s brands, including Wella Professionals, Sebastian Professional, Nioxin, ghd and more.

Global ambassador James Earnshaw and brand ambassador Briana Cisneros unveiled a range of creative colour looks featuring pastel shades.

Wella Professionals global creative ambassador Sonya Dove and brand ambassador Daniel Mora presented a range of brunettes and reds that also included the Cowboy Copper trend.

| Throughout the night, Sebastian international artist Anthony Cole and ambassador Marylle Koken took the stage to showcase their cutting and styling skills, along with striking hair transformations, in honour of Sebastian’s 50th anniversary. | For the 2023 Beauty Envision Awards, 39 finalists competed in 16 categories ranging from Cut and Style to Color and Nails. A big shout-out to Regan Wasson of Glow Hair Studio in Ottawa, Ont., for winning Transformation Color, as well as Christina Belle Nicolaides of Gingersnap Salon in Sudbury, Ont., for winning the People’s Choice award!

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Events — |

Toronto-based barber and owner of Glassbox Barbershop Peter Gosling also took the stage to share his advice on growing a barbering business and working with different hair textures.

A Recap of Beauty X 2023 Hairstylists, beauty pros and students gathered in Toronto at Enercare Centre for the inaugural Beauty X show. The two-day event featured stage presentations and demonstrations, classes and seminars, as well as hair competitions for stylists, barbers and makeup artists.

When & Where: October 22 to 23, Toronto

| In addition to the main stage, education seminars and classes were held in breakout rooms. We caught up with Artègo Canada team member and multi-Contessa winner Tony Ricci, artistic director Marlo Steenman and Tristyn Feist.

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This year’s headliner was celebrity hairstylist (and Contessa 2024 judge) Ted Gibson, who showcased his tips and tricks for editorial hairstyling and customizing cuts and even gave insight into the endless career possibilities available to hairstylists.

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The main stage was hosted by Toronto-based hairstylist Palma N’Sheluvzit.

| In addition to the main stage, education seminars and classes were held in breakout rooms.

| On both days of the event, attendees also had the opportunity to browse a range of exhibitor booths from brands such as Andis, Artègo, BossCaddi, FastFoils, Kasho, Kwickway, Lakmé, milk_shake, Oriac, Pearlon, Pivot Point, Revive7, Sam Villa, Sutra Beauty, Takara Belmont, Wahl and even us, Salon, among others.

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PHOTOS: BEAUTY X & SALON STAFF

— On day two of the event, Torontobased salon owner and Moroccanoil global colour ambassador Lisa Dinh took to the main stage to share tips on express colour services and creative techniques.

SalonCentric Canada’s general manager, Mark Sawchuk (pictured, left), welcomed and greeted attendees. Carson Drake, professional development manager for L’Oréal Professionnel and Pureology, was on hand to help with the brand’s product demonstrations and giveaways. |

| On behalf of Henkel, attendees included John Fortunato, head of Henkel Beauty Care Hair Professional in Canada, and Brian Ahrens, director of sales for Joico, Zotos Professional, Authentic Beauty Concept and STMNT Grooming Goods, along with vice-president Amanda Belasco and marketing manager Sara Saloojee.

— The event featured brand activations from L’Oréal Professionnel and Pureology, Matrix and Biolage, Redken, Joico, Authentic Beauty Concept and STMNT Grooming Goods.

Joshua Balint, training and education director for Matrix and Biolage, provided insights into some of the brand’s latest launches. |

Celebrating the Launch of SalonCentric Canada!

Salon owners and hairstylists from across Ontario gathered at the SalonCentric Canada statement store to celebrate its official launch.

PHOTOS: WADE MUIR

When & Where: November 27, Mississauga, Ont.

Redken Canada’s education director, Katrina Smiley (pictured, middle), was in attendance with the brand’s artists and educators, including Cindy Duplantis, Sharmaine Bidiyanath and Sheena M.

Also among the attendees were Alternative Beauty Services co-owners Sean Coyle and Tony Marinaccio, and Maureen Garvey, key account manager for SalonCentric Canada. salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 63

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Events —

Among the attendees was Oligo’s president, Ilan Cohen, and director of education, Vicky Filiatrault.

Oligo’s Ontario regional education manager, Stacey Wraxall, also joined the stage presentations and provided her top tips for a reverse balayage.

On behalf of Oligo’s Ontario-based distribution partner, CanRad Beauty Limited, executive vice-president of sales and marketing, Jack Stern, also took the stage to welcome attendees to the event. |

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| The event was kicked off by Oligo’s marketing director, Caroline Côté, who took the stage to thank the brand’s team for helping to put together the event.

Highlights from Oligo’s Reunion Tour 2023 Hairstylists and colourists from across Canada gathered at the Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre for Oligo Professionnel’s Reunion Tour Toronto. Held in four cities across North America and featuring a range of the brand’s artists, the event set out on a mission to reconnect with the industry while providing an educational lineup that focused on insights into colour trends, inspiration and more.

— Los Angeles-based hairstylist and Oligo’s chief brand ambassador, J Ladner, showcased his techniques for achieving a dimensional and expensive brunette look.

When & Where: November 6, Mississauga, Ont.

| Alberta-born, Cayman Islands-based hairstylist and Oligo artist Kelly Massias shared her process of enhancing a client’s natural colour with surface painting and balayage techniques.

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To close the show, Oligo artist and Mississauga-based hairstylist Diana Vivilecchia (a.k.a. @dvcolour) started her stage presentation by sharing her top tips for capturing social media content. She then walked attendees through her “lead in” technique for high-impact balayage with depth and dimension.

PHOTOS: SALON STAFF

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— The event kicked off with a presentation from Chatters president and CEO Phil Horvath and John Paul Mitchell Systems co-founder and chairman John Paul DeJoria.

Inside Chatters Symposium 2023 More than 600 hairstylists gathered for Chatters Symposium 2023, a threeday conference featuring education, presentations and an awards ceremony.

When & Where: October 16 to 18, Calgary, Alta.

This year, Chatters presented its co-founder, Corine Sim, with a lifetime achievement award. |

Chatters stylists, retail teams and brand partners attended the event to celebrate their accomplishments and prepare for the busy holiday season, as well as be recognized for their hard work and excellence behind the chair.

| Redken, Moroccanoil, John Paul Mitchell Systems and Ouidad are some of the brands that appeared onstage for education sessions.

PHOTOS: CHATTERS

— Also taking the stage was John Paul Mitchell Systems artistic director Stephen Moody, who launched the 2024 JPMS cutting certification for Chatters stylists.

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The symposium also included the Dare to Hair makeover competition, in which Winnipeg-based stylist Sonal Dodiya took home the win.

| The event’s finale was led by Redken and featured Chatters and Redken artist, Cindy Duplantis, Redken ambassador and former director of education and events, Terry Ritcey, and Redken artist Jamie Price, as well as the brand’s ambassador and curly educator, Leysa Curillo.

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To close the event, attendees got the chance to mix and mingle at a gala party. salonmagazine.ca / January+February 2024 65

Salon Social —

Spotted at #Contessa2024 We always love seeing all your photos and videos from the Contessa Awards!

Thanks to everyone who tagged us. We’ve rounded up some of our favourite posts from this year’s event.

@thepinklabelsalon Still reminiscing on this whirlwind weekend in Toronto. What a ride! Alana, Kat, Dan and I had such a fabulous time at the 2024 Contessas. Although we didn’t bring home a win in our category, we’re still pretty proud of this little shop being recognized on a Canada-wide platform! Kat and I were so inspired by all the other nominees and are definitely looking forward to participating again next year!

@sharonleclair

Sadly, we didn’t take first place for the best salon design in the country, but we’re thrilled to have made it to the finals and grateful to our whole team for making it possible. All contestants were so incredibly talented, and we’re humbled to have been part of the chosen top five.

@ericchairstylist Here is a little storytelling for you guys... We’ve known each other through social media for so many years, 2016 to be exact Year after year I saw @josievilay grow as a master hairstylist worldwide.

For me she’s a pillar for the hair industry and she inspires so many of us.

I had the chance to meet her last year at the Contessa Awards and this year too.

Every time I’m so happy to engage with her and by the way… she’s so lovely!

All this to tell you, the person who will be reading this, if you have any hairstylists who inspire you, everything is possible and if you see them at an event, go talk to them

@robin_la_chance CONTESSA 2024 Such an incredible night celebrating our beautiful industry.

The work was absolutely brilliant this year. I’m so inspired and already can’t wait to create with this team again. I am proud of our @tintedlovehairstudio team and myself for being Canadian Salon Team of the Year finalists and Elite Master Stylist of the Year finalist Thank you @salonmagazine for bringing us all together and giving us a platform to share, grow and support our talents.

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@thecabinetsalon We had an incredible night celebrating Canadian hairdressing at the Contessa’s!

Feeling very inspired!

@yogacolourist It was such an honour to be a presenter at the Contessa Canadian Hairstylist of the Year Awards! For many years I’ve attended the awards, and never did I ever think I would be on that stage! Thank you to @joicocanada and @alexandria.speaks.hair for the opportunity to live life beyond my dreams.

PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM

@hairbyred

What a night at #Contessa2024 & congratulations to all of the winners! I feel honoured to be counted as a finalist and being surrounded by incredible talent is always so inspiring. I’m already looking forward to creating a new collection for next year @salonmagazine #ContessaAwards

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support of the 2024 Contessa Awards!

GOLD

S I LV E R

A F T E R - PA R T Y S P O N S O R S

E D U C AT I O N S P O N S O R

YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! YOU MAKE US PROUD! NICOLE PEDE

@nmpede Canadian Artistic Team WINNER — Canadian Hairstylist FINALIST — Canadian Colourist

TANJA UNRAU

@hairstylesbytanja Digital Content Creator WINNER — Saskatchewan/ Manitoba Hairstylist

CONGRATULATIONS

to all the finalists and winners, including our Artistic Team and Content Creators, for your relentless dedication to your craft and continual inspiration for Canadian hairstylists. Your passion and commitment have truly set a remarkable standard in the industry.

MICHELLE OLIVER

ROBIN LACHANCE

JOSIE VILAYVANH & ALYSSA PEREZ

LISA CRAWFORD @crawford.m.s Freelance Artist FINALIST — Alberta Hairstylist

TINTED LOVE HAIR STUDIO

@josievilay @alyssaperezhairstylist Digital Content Creators FINALIST — Saskatchewan/Manitoba Hairstylist

JESSICA MCCOLM

ASHLEY RUEKER

QUINN ENRIGHT

@michelleoliverhair Canadian Artistic Team FINALIST — Canadian Hairstylist

@jessicamae_hair Freelance Artist FINALIST — Canadian Colourist Session Hairstylist Alberta Hairstylist

@robin_la_chance Canadian Artistic Team FINALIST — Elite Master Stylist

@hairbyashleyruecker Freelance Artist FINALIST — Saskatchewan/ Manitoba Hairstylist

@tintedlovehairstudio FINALIST — Canadian Salon Team

@theboldsaint Freelance Artist FINALIST — Canadian Colourist

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