ESTETICA Magazine USA (4/2019)

ONE NIGHT ONLY!
This is what the marquis should
read! Because after all the
brainstorming and planning done
by R+Co Co-Founders and The
Collective members, Electric
House is actually an experience
designed to ‘electrify’ the attendees
– not in the sense of shocking, but
rather stimulating, energizing,
illuminating. The evening will be
all about looking to the past to
inspire our future in the hair
industry, including dozens of hair
demonstrations punctuated with
exciting performances. Garren,
Celebrity Stylist and co-founder
of R+Co reveals his eureka
moment, “We did this great event
in L.A. last year and saw that the
east coast needed the same sort of
attention, but went in a kind of
different direction to do it... This
time, we’re really creating an
Electric and Eccentric atmosphere.”
He also reasons and explains the
whys and wherefores. “Education is
a little more eclectic now. You need
to know the past to be able to go
through the future... It’s more than
just cutting hair, it’s creating an
image.”
Thom Priano, Celebrity Men’s
Stylist and co-founder of R+Co,
agrees, saying “Electric House gives
me the opportunity to create
excitement and broaden everyone’s
horizons to do something out of
their comfort zone.”
Howard McLaren, co-founder
and Creative Director of R+Co
envisions the event as an
opportunity to round out the
overall hairdressing culture of those
in attendance. “We bring a lot of
history to reinforce how important
structure is to a career,” McLaren
explains, “It’s our job to make
people understand the history to
move forward with more accuracy.”
“I would love to see a shift in
how people enter the industry,”
he continues, “with more
technology involved in getting a
license and classes on the history
of hair, fashion, communication
to give people the ability to
explore beyond beauty.”
How do these experts envision the
future of hairdressing? Each of
these experts has his (or her) own
ideas and reflections. Ashley
Streicher, Celebrity Hairstylist and
R+Co Collective Member broods
over the onset of the internet and
social media. “I grew up having to
fly overseas to Vidal Sassoon and
get proper education, whereas
now... you can go online,” she
observes, “Styling information, even
haircuts, are now online in video
form immediately – which can be
good and bad. Not all the
information out there is credible.”
Thom Priano says, “We all wish we
had a crystal ball to look into the
future of hairdressing.
Unfortunately we don’t... the world
of Instagram, YouTube and
Facebook has taken over!” Then on
a more practical note he predicts,
“Not only do you have to be good at
your craft but you also need to be
good at using the tools to promote
yourself on these platforms. This is
where people go to see your work
before they even think about
booking an appointment.”
For more info go to page 113
Meet R+Co
Co-Founders Howard
McLaren, Garren
and Thom Priano,
along with The
Collective member
Ashley Streicher.
Showmen & trainers
extraordinaires on
stage and backstage at
Electric House.
R+Co education assumes an
eclectic and eccentric flair,
leaving an indelible impression
education
103