INFEATURE
AVEDA CHAMPIONS WELLNESS AT ARTIST RETREAT HELD OVER TWO DAYS AT THE IDYLLIC MARNONG ESTATE JUST 45 MINUTES OUTSIDE OF MELBOURNE, ON OCTOBER 23 AND 24, THE AVEDA ARTIST RETREAT COMBINED MORE THAN 150 OF THE AVEDA NETWORK, EXCEEDING ALL EXPECTATIONS AND PROVING MORE THAN EVER THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF CONNECTION TO THE SURVIVAL OF OUR INDUSTRY, WRITES CAMERON PINE.
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he Aveda network is like no other hair and beauty brand, from its plant powered 100 per cent vegan formulas, ingredient sourcing and wind powered manufacturing, to the brand’s constant pledge to support the health of hairdressers through traditional Ayurvedic principles and give back to the communities in which it trades. To further cement this philosophy, Marnong Estate was the perfect backdrop, offering boutique accommodation, a winery and a conference space all in one. With endless rolling hills, animals and even camels in the backdrop it was no ordinary venue. Welcoming the group from as far as Western Australia, Brand General Manager, Corrine Duffy paid respects to the uniqueness of the location and the Aveda tribe in a hand-picked location set for nature, nurture and a premium experience of connection. Members of the Aveda family from overseas, including Japan and Hong Kong, travelled to share their knowledge and share the invaluable experiences rich to the Aveda brand. “Most importantly I’m just so grateful to have you all here. When we were talking about an Artist Retreat especially for you, we sent out a survey and we were going to 30 INSTYLE
reintroduce the Color Harmony Awards but you showed us that there’s a lot going on in your business, staffing constraints, teams are stretched and so many other factors and this is the result of what you said you wanted from us,” Corinne said. “We still intend to go back to the celebration of Artistry with Color Harmony, and the Aveda Congress has also inspired us a lot for this event to celebrate true artistry. It’s also not often you get to take time out and spend it with all of your friends within this network and meet new people, but there’ll be things that we do over the next two days that really help you unwind, relax and recharge. It will also help you become familiar with some of the wellness aspects of the Aveda brand that you may not have experienced before, because we have a number of new salons who have joined us today.” Leading each segment with the Aveda brand video – a powerful portrayal of a brand deep rooted in its traditions and connection to community - the spirit was one of care and consciousness. This level of brand integrity further prompted a bracelet ceremony with Aveda’s Megan Loyd, National Sales Manager of APAC, who ran all guests through this real ice breaker style exercise to reset each
guest in the room to be open to meeting new people. Deep rooted into the Aveda heritage of wellness, the bracelet ceremony was seen as a great way to start the weekend off with collective consciousness. A deep-rooted tradition in each and every product and service still emanates through the network today. As Aveda Founder Horst Rechelbacher used to say “feeling beauty is the cause. Looking beautiful is the effect. When you feel good inside you look good outside”. The real message set at the beginning harnessed this belief, that true success can only come from a calm place of authenticity and setting the intention for the ripple effect of life from the beginning. What power does the ripple effect have, you ask? Well, quite simply, when we focus on improving one aspect of our life, the positive effects often stem beyond the immediate area of change – influencing other areas in unexpected, yet welcome ways. In a group environment of creative and business minds this can be even more powerful. After the wellness ceremony, introduction and a healthy lunch, the focus zoomed straight in on scalp health – a notoriously underrated aspect of hair health and an increasingly problematic
