Christo at Premiere Orlando
The thousands of stylists attending this weekend’s Premiere Orlando trade show weren’t Mickey-Mousing around; they were there to shop and learn, and shop and learn they did!
NaturallyCurly spent Sunday on the floor of the show, checking out all the new products, old favorites and the educational events.
Read more about keratin! Keratin Treatments are White Hot,
The big news? Once again: keratin treatments. We could hardly believe it possible, but there were actually even MORE keratin treatment vendors at this show than at shows past. We counted 20 manufacturers selling keratin straightening treatments. 20! And several of these keratin product manufacturers also offered well-attended educational sessions at the show.
And while the keratin booths were popular, stylists flocked to a number of other booths that proved popular throughout the day, including Matrix, Arrojo, Michael O’Rourke, L’Oreal (where the company touted its new INOA coloring system”> and Morrocconoil, which has recently released a new curl creme.
Argan treatments were also popular, though they didn’t have as big as presence as at some previous shows.
Main stage performances dazzled, too, with shows featuring Takashi Kitamura, Anthony Mascolo, Martin Parsons, Sherri Jessee and more.
Celebrity Stylist Nick Arrojo
The educational events for the first time featured several that focused on curly hair.
Curly hair legend Ouidad’s morning presentation was jammed to the rafters with eager stylists occupying every inch of available space in the room. “Curly hair is regal. It is beautiful,” Ouidad enthusiastically told the rapt crowd. “Curly haired people have a soul,” she added.
The Queen of Curl described her trademark Carve & Slice Method, with assistant Alex demonstrating the cutting technique on a model whose hair had been poorly cut by another stylist. “Carve & Slice is strategically designed to work with the curly pattern you have. It’s designed to cut with the curvature of your hair.”
“Look for the weight when deciding where to cut,” said Alex.
Time slipped by as Alex continued to cut and style the model’s hair, yielding a beautiful look that had the pumped-up and curl-friendly audience cheering.Back at Ouidad’s booth on the floor, industry color master Cypriano dazzled passing stylists with his makeovers.
At another education event, Christo Fifth Avenue’s Christo thrilled the crowd with his own stunning makeovers—transforming frizz to fabulousness. Of his curl philosophy, he said, “When I design a client’s hair, I design to her texture. And I give her a prescription especially for her texture.”
Kim Vo of “Sheer Genius” fame
Christo also revealed that he will soon be introducing a line of hair care products for tight, coily hair.
At another training event, hair care company Surface pushed its root-volumizing product, Push. The room gasped as company rep Wayne Grund demonstrated how the powdery product instantly offers lift at the root and how smooshed-down hair can be revived quickly.
We saw several new product lines we can’t wait to try out: Amika, Obliphica, Angel Professional and Milk_Shake. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on these hot hair care products.
Obedience, from celebrity stylist Charlene Spiller, is a “light, high-performing straightening serum that allows women of any ethnicity to naturally straighten their curly, wavy or resistant hair.”
Celebrity stylists Nick Arrojo and Kim Vo were surrounded by a pack of admirers everywhere they went, and Vo even had a take-a-picture-with-me booth set up outside the main floor. Dozens of giddy stylists eagerly awaiting their turn to have their photos taken with Vo, as the “Shear Genius” star smiled, chatted and treated each one like his long-lost friend.
