Alternative hair celebrates legends with 30th annual show
Published
17th Oct 2012
by rachael
The Alternative Hair Show celebrated 30 successful years with a roof-raising show at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Over the last three decades, the charity has raised close to £9 million for leukaemia research with £193,000 collected on the night for their new campaign, Fighting Leukaemia.
Celebrating their journey from 1983 to the present day, the evening kicked off with a moving montage of previous shows - starting with the very first event at the Camden Palace and concluding with a special tribute to their late honorary patron, Vidal Sassoon.
Alongside some of the greatest names in hairdressing - including Robert Lobetta, Daniel Galvin and John Frieda - founder of Alternative Hair, Tony Rizzo, presented Sassoon's children Elan and Eden with a unique award in memory of the iconic hairdresser. As the family joined Tony on stage and thanked the audience for their support over the last few months, they received an uplifting and deserved standing ovation from the 5,000-strong crowd.
Next it was time for the Alternative Hair International Visionary Award, featuring inspiring work from 22 up-and-coming industry names from across the globe. Looks ranged from London-themed avant-garde looks to bold, beautiful colour but it was a head-hugging geometric crop in bright red by Michelle McDermott from Peter Mark Hair in Dublin who took first place.
The 2012/2013 Association Internationale Presse Professionnelle Coiffure (AIPP) award winners were also announced during the show, with international names honoured for their creative work throughout the year.
The winners were: Best Commercial - Rizos, Spain; Best Avant-Garde - Indira Schauwecker, TONI&GUY, UK; Best Photo - Caterina di Biase, Heading Out, Australia; Best Men's - Klaus Peter Ochs, Germany; and Best Video - X-Presion, Spain.
And a special surprise came in the form of a special award for Alternative Hair's founder, Tony Rizzo. While he's more used to giving awards, on this occasion he was on the receiving end with a special lifetime achievement award honouring his dedication to charitable work.
It was then time for the evening's creative shows with 20 hairdressing teams from across the globe presenting their individual interpretations of the Alternative Hair Show's 2012 theme; Legends.
The evening culminated with a final presentation of all the teams, as well as presentation of a cheque for £193,000 by global president of Alternative Hair, Anthony Mascolo and Tony Rizzo for the new Fighting Leukaemia charity.
The creative shows - see the entire gallery here!
Alan Edwards, Scotland - The Man Who Fell to Earth
Hair inspired by legendary musicians and designers from the 70s, 80s and 90s created a collection of structured shapes and textures, contrasted with textured, fluffy lengths at the back dip-dyed in a rainbow of neon shades. [See more]
Carlo Bay, Italy - Circular Emotions
Classical glamour with more than a hint of the Lana Del Rey look - hair was full of volume and shine, styled in asymmetric waves or voluminous 60s manes. [See more]
David Murray Hair & Beauty, Ireland - Infinity
Heavily inspired by fashion designer John Rocha, David mirrored tailoring techniques adding plenty of texture to the hair to give it a warrior-like feel. [See more]
Dmitry Vinokurov, Russia
The deconstructionist movement of the 1920s combined with Oriental motifs for models with a distinctly spiritual overtone in a monochrome palette. [See more]
Fehringer Hair, Austria - Mechan X
Textures ranging from fuzzy curls to undulating waves of wefts balanced oversized white dresses for doll-inspired looks. [See more]
Gerry Santoro, Italy - The Body
Inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci, Santoro presented a remodelling of what it is to be a woman while retaining the purity of her form, just as Leonardo did. [See more]
Gogen Parrucchieri, Italy - Ritual
Inspired by Catholic liturgy, this collection combined tradition with modernity. Floor-length black and white gowns created the perfect palette for head-hugging crops in a variety of hues, for a chess-inspired presentation. [See more]
Lazlo Hajas, Hungary - Demonic Dazzle
Creating a dark, fantasy landscape the shapes of models' black PVC inflated costumes echoed a variation of strong, confident and sharp haircuts. [See more]
Klaus Peter Ochs, Germany - Legends of Purity
The beauty of snowflakes, water trickling in a stream and fog rising on a misty sunrise inspired an array of models, with snowfall closing the set for a breathtaking finish. [See more]
Kohsuke Visual Network, Japan - Thunderbird
Native Americans inspired this collection, with braided sections framing the heads of models for a precision finish. [See more]
Mahogany, England - Legends of the Catwalk
A salute to the legendary bob, with classic cuts given contrast through a spectrum of pretty pastel shades from apricot to lilac. [See more]
Mario Krankl, Austria - Cybergold
A world where the mechanical and the romantic collide, modern sounds joined a classical voice to highlight avant-garde updos formed from plaits, braids and buns. [See more]
Petra Měchurová Hair Design, Czech Republic - Vivat Legends
Vintage glamour inspired this collection, with elegant updos and classic old Hollywood hair worn close to the head and finished in elegant, glossy shades ranging from blonde to red. [See more]
Rizos, Spain - Metropolitan Air Up
Inspired by Fritz Lang's Metropolis and silent movie, Legend, this eclectic presentation recreated a universe of production chain androids at work with towering beehives and exaggerated mohicans. [See more]
Saco, England - Still
Graphic lines in both hair and costume along with simple, strong silhouettes and gentle choreography made for a cool, calm and still presentation. [See more]
Sanrizz, England - Cut the World
Geometric shapes and a rainbow fusion of primary hues showed how shape and colour bring an enlightening and optimistic vibe to life. Individual quirks including cut-in fringes and asymmetric lengths completed the collection. [See more]
Sassoon, England - Mono Couture
Trademark Sassoon shapes in a mixed avant-garde display of graceful minimalism suggesting decisive individualism and a hit of bondage strength. [See more]
Stevo, Slovenia - Tech Glam
Volume was the watchword for the Stevo show, with textured beehives in a variety of prints, patterns and hues contrasting again sculptural outfits. [See more]
TIGI, England
A collaboration between TIGI and London College of Fashion, this presentation paid homage to Alexander McQueen with sculptural looks in textural finishes complementing the late, great designer's couture gowns. [See more]
Trevor Sorbie, London - Masterpieces
Living sculptures formed the basis of the Trevor Sorbie show, with classical hairstyles recreating the elegant artistry of Grecian sculptures. [See more]
