Hair Expo reviews - Day 1

New year, new lineup, but the mission was the same: is Hair Expo worth the time, energy and money?

Planning TRADE’s Hair Expo visit was like planning a military operation. Last year, with just the two of us, we cherrypicked the shows we thought would be the most useful. This year, with an extra reviewer, it was all on. We split up and at least one of us made it to every show.

The Insider: Gene, TRADE’s industry editor, 27 years in the industry.

“Last year we were just getting drunk and telling people that there was a new mag coming called TRADE. Now we're regarded as a proper mag. HOT. Anthony Mascolo is headlining and we have an interview all booked in – this year was going to be completely different.”

The Outsider: Ellie, TRADE’s editor, one year on and not quite the deer in the headlights.

“This year was very different for me. I wasn’t the deer in the headlights and I didn’t need anyone holding my hand. Perhaps I can put it down to the new eyes I was seeing everything with, but I was a lot more excited this time around, and I’d already picked out some shows I wanted to see purely for my own interest.”

Introducing – the newbie: senior stylist for Oscar & Co, first time at Hair Expo.

“This was my first time going and I had no expectations. I was blown away by the passion that our industry has. In the three days that we had at the Expo I was very fortunate to be able to attend all the galas and educational seminars I could fit in; and boy was there a lot to jam in.”

7.30pm: Opening Gala, $161

The Insider: Shane Henning, five-time Australian hairdresser of the year, starts us off with strong visuals and a loud Suzy Quattro soundtrack. Good looking models, lots of Afro crimp and curly bobs. He moves to a little red riding hood theme, then to winter Japan with beautiful pastel hair on geishas. Very cool. Just when you think ‘I could be anywhere in the world’, the sound system starts pumping out bloody Olivia Newton John's Xanadu to finish the show with a chick on roller-skates … and we're back in Aussie. While Shane’s show is value for money, Antoinette Beenders (global creative director for Aveda) drops the ball. She comes out and starts to do some cutting on stage like it’s a seminar or something – it’s Saturday night in Sydney. Spoke to people who stayed and apparently after the cuts she presented some good looks, but we sneak out.

Verdict: 50/50

9.30pm: Schwarzkopf drinks

The Insider: So we're in a cab off to The Ivy to see if we can blag our way into the Schwarzkopf party. We come across Marilyn and Raymond leaving as we turn up, which allows us to slip past the good-looking girl with the invite list. And. We're. In. This is a large pumping party. I think we made the right call. Yay for Sydney on a Saturday night!

Read about Sunday and Monday at Hair Expo 2011.

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