In 2014, Macadamia Beauty, LLC evolved its brand name from Macadamia Natural Oil to Macadamia Professional, reinforcing the company’s commitment to the salon professional. The rebranding involved new packaging, new formulas, and a new brand identity for Macadamia Professional as “The Oil Authority for Global Textures.”
With all this change, Karrie Fonte, area vice president, global education at Macadamia Professional, needed to develop a methodology and common language to educate around the brand. “This is the most exciting time to be with the company,” Fonte says. “In an industry that is so saturated, when do you have the opportunity to build and develop something from scratch? I brought on four Global Master Artists to collaborate with me on creating a system of cutting, styling and finishing. We believe beauty is every shade, every texture, every woman and we also put together collections that would illustrate this vision.”
Macadamia Professional products are designed to address the unique needs of each global hair texture, from baby fine to coarse and coiled. Fonte, an industry veteran and educator, is actively recruiting for two other levels of educators.
Karrie Fonte, area vice president, global education at Macadamia Professional
“Our Macadamia Artists are our regional talent who support distributors and teach product knowledge in salons around the country. They will be our boots on the ground. The Macadamia Master Artists will represent the Macadamia methodology at industry shows and teach on foundational cutting, styling and finishing. In 2016, I want to bring on another 25 artists. We have new distribution and we are going out on the road to audition in those markets.”
The Macadamia Global Artists create the Macadamia Professional collections, style behind-the-scenes at New York Fashion Week, on photo shoots, on set and represent the brand at the larger stage shows. To forge a connection with Hollywood hair trends, Macadamia Professional appointed celebrity hairdresser Giannandrea Marngiu as their international creative director.
“Working with Giannandrea, we get Fashion Week exposure and he does a lot of gorgeous, glamorous red carpet hair, too,” Fonte says. “We translate this work to make it more accessible for salon stylists and maybe make it a smidge more funky. We are a prestige haircare line but we live in the salon.”
Becoming part of this burgeoning brand requires the formal process of resume and photo submission (“It can be images from Instagram or off your phone, nothing fancy, just a good indication of your work”) phone interview and, ultimately, an audition. “I ask them to do hairdressing for me. We believe that styling and finishing with our products helps you to ‘wardrobe’ the hair and is how we make our mark.”
The right attitude towards education is ultimately what Fonte wants to find in her artists.
“I always say you have to give it away to keep it; I will tell you everything I know and I want artists who feel the same way, who have a willingness to share it all in a professional way.”
Interested in educating with Macadamia Professional? Write education@macadamiahair.com.
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