L'oréal professionnel portfolio enjoy an ibiza extravaganza

The Balearic party island of Ibiza was the sun-drenched destination for L'Oréal Professionnel's Portfolio Congress, which combined inspirational business speakers, a mind-blowing hair show and plenty of opportunities to network and experience the local culture for a perfect combination of business and pleasure.

"As leaders of the industry, it is always a special moment to share and exchange ideas and be inspired to still be successful," Vincent Mercier, managing director L'Oréal Professional Products Division, told the 65-strong audience made up of many of the company's most creative and innovative salon partners, including new Portfolio members Georges in Leicester; Zuni in Belfast and Headquarters in Kingston.

In the two years since the last Congress, the world's economy has plummeted, but Vincent was full of encouragement for the delegates, who he believes are perfectly positioned to profit from the situation.

"Visits to the salon are down to six times a year, which means that the hair industry is at minus five per cent, while the rest of the beauty market is level and the luxury market is up six per cent. 

"Top salons are part of the luxury market, so if that can grow then your business can too," he said.

Sarah Willingham, super chef Raymond Blanc's eyes and ears on TV show The Restaurant, gave a rousing speech about how she turned struggling chain The Bombay Bicycle Club from a loss making group of six restaurants to a profitable group of 17.

And Alan Richardson general manager L'Oréal Professionnel drew the clear parallels with the hair industry. "Like the restaurant business you take quality ingredients add a little creativity and create something special," he explained.

Then it was over to David Magliano the man who spearheaded London's bid to host the Olympics in 2012 and is currently the director of commercial marketing for England's 2018 World Cup bid.

David wowed the audience as he discussed every step of the successful bid presentation and he pointed out that sometimes the most important thing in making people accept you and what you are trying to achieve is to challenge the way they think.

"We didn't want them [the Olympic committee] to ask the question 'which is the best city to host the Olympics?', because that would have been Paris," he told the audience. "Instead, we changed the thought process so that the question we were asking was 'what City has a vision that most suits the Olympic movement?'."

With the business minds satisfied, it was time for a creative fix, which was brilliantly provided by session stylist Malcolm Edwards.

Malcolm, who has created hairstyles to complement the couture of fashion icons including Vivienne Westwood, Matthew Williams, Burberry and Prada, created three looks that were strongly influenced by yesteryear.

"This is an exciting time for hairdressing," he told delegates. "The public is hungry and well-informed and it's a great time to go back and visit the old techniques".

Working with a glossy chestnut palette, Malcolm created gorgeous curls that were brushed out for a messy feel, then blasted from underneath to create immense volume for a playful the-morning-after-the-night-before mane.

Look two was 'a little take on the naughty forties' that worked with rolls and chignons for a taste of Golden Age Hollywood.

Malcolm demonstrated how you can take away the fear factor when working with long hair: by creating a simple ponytail and using it as a lever; before sharing his secret for a shiny, polished finish: blow drying hair through a hairnet to smooth it down.

A Marie-Antoinette-inspired avant garde creation that had nods to the infamous look Malcolm created for Lady Gaga at this year's Brit Awards was the show's piece de resistance.

Working with fibre that had been pre-coloured and sprayed for a cobweb-like finish, Malcolm strategically draped the fabric over a towering updo. As the structure took shape, he worked with complementary colours and theatrical spray paint to create areas of light and shade for a dramatic awe-inspiring finish. 

"I hope you can take some tid-bits from my madness. I really believe that anything you see can be diluted and used," he told the delighted audience as he accepted their rapturous applause. 

With the congress complete for another two years, it was time for the delegates to enjoy the delights of the Mediterranean, including the delicious local cuisine, the picturesque sea-views and of course Ibiza's world-renowned nightlife.