The L’Oréal Professionnel Color & Style Trophy competition, an international event held since 1954, finally made it to the United States. Held this summer at Cipriani Wall Street in NYC, the event was a grand success. More than 500 salon professionals were there to cheer on their favorites and watch the presentations, leading up to the official announcement of the winners. Hosted by industry icon Ted Gibson, the magnificent ceremony had multiple highlights including a parade of finished models from the 25 team finalists.

More than 250 artistic teams entered the multi-category competition that ran from January to June of this year. Designed to celebrate the talents of teams (hair colorist, stylist, designer, makeup artist, wardrobe stylist and model), the artists were tasked to present a powerful trend of the year. Models were judged from head to toe on the trend and suitability of the look including hair, wardrobe and makeup.

"We are very proud to have hosted the first ever L'Oréal Professionnel Color & Style Trophy for the U.S.," says Lisa Morris, L'Oreal Professionnel General Manager. "We were impressed by the caliber of work and the amount of submissions we received from a variety of salon teams across the country. This, together with the energy, excitement and feedback we felt and received during the live competition really solidified for us the importance of hosting this event in the US."

The judging panel was filled with industry notables including Nancy Braun, Jo Blackwell-Preston, Crystofer Benson, Shelley Gregory, Johnny Ramirez, Jason Backe, Darren Oram, Anh Co Tran, Ammon Carver, Kris Sorbie, Matthew Morris, Heath Grout, Jennifer MacDougall and MODERN Beauty and Fashion Director Maggie Mulhern.

The winner of the grand prize, Tre Salon of Orland Park, IL, will now represent the US and compete at the Global Color & Style Trophy finals in Seville, Spain this fall. Included in the prize package was a photoshoot with MODERN SALON which will appear in an issue this fall.

COLOR & STYLE AWARD:

1st Place: Tre Volte Salon, Orland Park, IL

2nd Place: Salon Biyoshi, Knoxville, TN

3rd Place: Forma + Collective Salon, Englewood, CO 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD:

Salon Biyoshi, Knoxville, TN

COLOR AWARD:

Studio Sage, Jacksonville Beach, FL

STYLING AND CUTTING AWARD:

RV Hair Graphics, Lancaster, PA

MEN’S IMAGE AWARD:

DiPietro Todd Salon, San Francisco, CA

YOUNG TALENT AWARD:

Matthew Morris Salon and Skincare, Denver, CO

When asked what this meant to her, the lead hairdresser from Tre Volte Salon, Lindsey Olson, answers, "I always go for it, like I did for Color & Style Trophy. The real win is the experience your team and yourself will have. You have to take the chance or you will never know."

Check out this interview with Olson on the importance of entering competitions (with some tips on how to win!):