Alternative Hair Show 20th anniversary

More photos

Tony Rizzo the dynamic founder of the Alternative Hair Show summed up the spirit of what has become one of the most spectacular and prestigious fundraising events in the world by introducing the show as a sign of "unity" in the hair care industry. More importantly, Rizzo spoke of how his vision to create the event to support the Leukaemia Research Fund was a direct result of losing his precious son Valentino to the disease. Rizzo constructively channelled his negative experience by creating a very positive show that has helped to save the lives of children and adults suffering from leukaemia. So far, over £3.5 million has been raised and the life expectancy has improved and today eight out ten victims survive. The Alternative Hair Show is getting bigger and better and has extended to Italy, America, Japan and for the first time this year it will be held in Korea.

The Royal Albert Hall was filled to the brim and to mark the 20th anniversary all the eighteen participants representing many of the top hairdressing companies in the world staged shows that supported a worthy cause. It was a mesmerizing evening. The music and lighting set the mood and each show built up a crescendo that lifted the enthusiasm of the crowd. All the shows were very individual and distinct but there was one unifying factor, the ability to tell a story by merging creatively, startling hair styles with fashion, choreography and in the process projecting an image which suggested a high level of professionalism. In a sense it was like watching the history of hairstyles as they evolved over the years and each show conjured up images of different periods. More Photo

The Ulrich Graf team kicked of the first part of the evening. They have been participating since 1988 and they came up with an elegant retrospective of styles displayed over the years, capturing the mood of previous shows. The Gandini team presented an Italian style show titled metamorphosis, displaying dualistic hair and fashion with an avant-garde twist. Fehringer and Team lived up to their philosophy: "be ahead of your time and always stay hungry," by staging a dynamic show with an Amadeus theme. Mahogany stayed true to their image and as their artistic director Richard Thompson stated," the style is simple with sexy short hair and it all comes together to tell a story." A modern interpretation of Dusty Springfields"Think I am Going Back," inspired just the right mood for the Mahogany show. This year, Toni & Guy presented a global vision with their pulsating show that travels to Africa with vibrant African rhythms and contrasts with northern wastelands with white icy images. More Photos

The second part was just as captivating with the Sanrizz team presenting "Double Geometrics," described as a combination of new geometrical dual lengths with exaggerated a- line edges. The look was of deep bronze colours, kohl black and moody cool blondes. Mod's Hair used a Spanish style of music that created a great backdrop to a very modern look, sort of tomboyish charm. Burlington, purely theatrical with models wearing angel wings and there was an exciting contemporary feel to the whole show. Klaus Peter Ochs show was all about femininity and elegance with a Bollywood, ethnic theme running throughout. The Alan Edwards show lived up to their motto " We aspire to inspire" and gave the audience an ethereal show filled with high drama and striking clothes designed by Ziad Ghaden. The Hair Studio known for their unique cutting technique " The Swan Scissors" created these unusual feather type cuts that were dazzling. The theme was black and white images for the Laszlo Hajas group who gave a captivating performance. With a rousing ovation, Patrick Cameron, "The maestro of long hair" did not disappoint his audience by presenting a show with unusual, intricate braid styles; the operatic feel conveyed in the accompanying music set a romantic mood. There was also a Japanese influence that continued the ethnic themes apparent throughout the Alternative show. Last but certainly not least was the dynamic stage presence of the Vidal Sassoon team, which was truly innovative and one could understand why they have earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries in the hair care industry.

<< Back to Page <<