A model on the Hairtalk extensions stage on the show floor.
A model on the Hairtalk extensions stage on the show floor.

Photo courtesy of

Katie Georgas
Martino Cartier demos cut and style on the Hairtalk stage.
Martino Cartier demos cut and style on the Hairtalk stage.

Photo courtesy of

Babak
A model on the Aquage booth stage. Original beehive creator Margaret Vinci Heldt stopped by the stage at one point to say hello to the educators and audience.
A model on the Aquage booth stage. Original beehive creator Margaret Vinci Heldt stopped by the stage at one point to say hello to the educators and audience.

Photo courtesy of

Babak
A model from Mizani’s presentation on the SalonCentric stage.
A model from Mizani’s presentation on the SalonCentric stage.

Photo courtesy of

Babak
Farouk's Anna Cantu presents her model on the runway at ABS.
Farouk's Anna Cantu presents her model on the runway at ABS.

Photo courtesy of

Babak
Airbrushing is becoming increasingly popular in makeup application; this model was being airbrushed at the Make Up First booth.
Airbrushing is becoming increasingly popular in makeup application; this model was being airbrushed at the Make Up First booth.

Photo courtesy of

Katie Georgas
Trending retro styles (especially men’s styles inspired by Elvis) at the American Crew booth.
Trending retro styles (especially men’s styles inspired by Elvis) at the American Crew booth.
The half-pipe at Peter Coppola’s booth on the show floor.
The half-pipe at Peter Coppola’s booth on the show floor.

Photo courtesy of

Katie Georgas
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A model on the Hairtalk extensions stage on the show floor.
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A model on the Hairtalk extensions stage on the show floor.
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Photo courtesy of

Katie Georgas
Martino Cartier demos cut and style on the Hairtalk stage.
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Martino Cartier demos cut and style on the Hairtalk stage.

Photo courtesy of

Babak
A model on the Aquage booth stage. Original beehive creator Margaret Vinci Heldt stopped by the stage at one point to say hello to the educators and audience.
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A model on the Aquage booth stage. Original beehive creator Margaret Vinci Heldt stopped by the stage at one point to say hello to the educators and audience.

Photo courtesy of

Babak
A model from Mizani’s presentation on the SalonCentric stage.
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A model from Mizani’s presentation on the SalonCentric stage.

Photo courtesy of

Babak
Farouk's Anna Cantu presents her model on the runway at ABS.
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Farouk's Anna Cantu presents her model on the runway at ABS.

Photo courtesy of

Babak
Airbrushing is becoming increasingly popular in makeup application; this model was being airbrushed at the Make Up First booth.
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Airbrushing is becoming increasingly popular in makeup application; this model was being airbrushed at the Make Up First booth.

Photo courtesy of

Katie Georgas
Trending retro styles (especially men’s styles inspired by Elvis) at the American Crew booth.
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Trending retro styles (especially men’s styles inspired by Elvis) at the American Crew booth.
The half-pipe at Peter Coppola’s booth on the show floor.
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The half-pipe at Peter Coppola’s booth on the show floor.

Photo courtesy of

Katie Georgas

THE EVENT: America’s Beauty Show 2016 at McCormick Place in Chicago, March 12-14. 

THE DETAILS: More than 70,000 salon pros and owners, students, educators, product manufacturers and more attended this year’s show. The exhibit hall contained more than 400 companies spanning the entire McCormick West Hall. Noteworthy breakout categories were ABS Nails Central for nail techs and the ABS Barbers Gallery, which featured dozens of workshops and education from a variety of brands.

MODERN once again hosted Healthy Hairdresser Day on Sunday; the first 500 professionals to come by the Healthy Hairdresser booth on Sunday received a Healthy Hairdresser water bottle and goodie bag. Additionally, MODERN hosted ColorFest on Monday to share techniques, trends and tips from elite colorists—plus research from our annual PROCESS supplement.

On Sunday night, BeautyBash was held in a ballroom at McCormick Place. Dancers kicked the night off, Nick Arrojo won the Jerry Gordon Salon Business Leadership Award, and models were presented on stage.

Other new and noteworthy events were TexturedHairFair on Monday, moderated by Michelle Breyer of naturallycurly.com, and the Great Beauty $how Buy Off $ale on Monday, which featured big product discounts for pros.

THE TRENDS:

RETRO

Sexy Hair, American Crew, Candy Coat Beauty Waxing and Beauty & Pinups all focused on era-inspired hair and vintage looks with modern twists. Classics like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley apparently never go out of style!

BARBERING
Last year we saw a big increase in men’s cut, style and color on the show floor, stages and in classrooms, but this year, many educators focused their clippers on women’s cuts. The barber-inclined booths also got noticed with larger-than-life presentations featuring DJs, motorcycle helmets, half-pipes and more.

EXTENSIONS
Keep an eye out for extensions becoming bigger than ever. For another year, this category made its mark on the show floor. Related brands focusing on hair health, thinning hair and scalp concerns also made waves.

SAVE THE DATE: America’s Beauty Show 2017 will be March 25-27, 2017, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

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