Coney Island Queen: Joshua Falewitch -- “I was inspired by the music of artist Lana Del Rey, which is very light, airy and mysterious. I pulled a lot of inspiration from the energy coming from the '50s-influenced fashion. Her hair color is a beautiful rust-like shade inspired by Florence Welch. For the styling, braids are so in right now, and if you look at the popular images on Pinterest, this is what’s trending. I wanted to take what’s current in hair and fashion, but add in microcrimping and texture to put my personal twist on it on a classic look.”
Coney Island Queen: Joshua Falewitch -- “I was inspired by the music of artist Lana Del Rey, which is very light, airy and mysterious. I pulled a lot of inspiration from the energy coming from the '50s-influenced fashion. Her hair color is a beautiful rust-like shade inspired by Florence Welch. For the styling, braids are so in right now, and if you look at the popular images on Pinterest, this is what’s trending. I wanted to take what’s current in hair and fashion, but add in microcrimping and texture to put my personal twist on it on a classic look.”
Elizabethan Decadence: Artist: Meredith Tye -- “I went through history to find powerful women, like Elizabeth I, who always wore a crown or a tiara. I wanted to create that strong silhouette, but out of women’s hair. During Elizabeth’s rein, there were restrictions in place called Sumptuary Laws—laws for clothing, colors you could wear that indicated social status and class. I drew from these laws in the lace wardrobe and to create the reds, purples and golds, colors reserved only for royalty.”
Elizabethan Decadence: Artist: Meredith Tye -- “I went through history to find powerful women, like Elizabeth I, who always wore a crown or a tiara. I wanted to create that strong silhouette, but out of women’s hair. During Elizabeth’s rein, there were restrictions in place called Sumptuary Laws—laws for clothing, colors you could wear that indicated social status and class. I drew from these laws in the lace wardrobe and to create the reds, purples and golds, colors reserved only for royalty.”
Southwestern Sunset: Artist: Natalie Fox -- “Shaved hair, chalking and graphics are so on trend right now—my inspiration came from that, but, instead, using colored rubs to create the same effect on slickedback hair. I used the southwest sunset as inspiration for the color, and was infl uenced by the Mayan calendar coming to an end in 2012—which many look to as a premonition of change and new beginnings.”
Southwestern Sunset: Artist: Natalie Fox -- “Shaved hair, chalking and graphics are so on trend right now—my inspiration came from that, but, instead, using colored rubs to create the same effect on slickedback hair. I used the southwest sunset as inspiration for the color, and was infl uenced by the Mayan calendar coming to an end in 2012—which many look to as a premonition of change and new beginnings.”
Visions of Light: Artist: Suzy Henningsgard -- “This look all started with my brother, a rock ‘n’ roll, heavy metal guy. He has the most-gorgeous long, Italian hair and when he listens to music he whips it around. My inspiration is visions of light, and the way textured hair looks with light shining through it.”
Visions of Light: Artist: Suzy Henningsgard -- “This look all started with my brother, a rock ‘n’ roll, heavy metal guy. He has the most-gorgeous long, Italian hair and when he listens to music he whips it around. My inspiration is visions of light, and the way textured hair looks with light shining through it.”
Opaque Asymmetry: Artist: Timmy Willy -- “My initial inspiration for this shoot came from the perfection seen on mannequins at clothing stores. And the red hair choice came from being recognized through my own red hair. This represents society conforming through make-up, fashion and perfection. But the hair represents, “Be unexpected, be yourself and, ultimately, be remembered.”
Opaque Asymmetry: Artist: Timmy Willy -- “My initial inspiration for this shoot came from the perfection seen on mannequins at clothing stores. And the red hair choice came from being recognized through my own red hair. This represents society conforming through make-up, fashion and perfection. But the hair represents, “Be unexpected, be yourself and, ultimately, be remembered.”
5 Degrees of Separation: Todd Kane -- “My concept is 5 Degrees of Separation from Vidal Sassoon. My mentor is Chystofer Benson, who was trained by Damien Carney. Damien was trained by Trevor Sorbie, who was trained by Sassoon. This classic bob has the vision of Trevor, the precision of Damien, the explosion of color through Chrystofer, and I added my heart to it. Hair + heart = imagine.”
5 Degrees of Separation: Todd Kane -- “My concept is 5 Degrees of Separation from Vidal Sassoon. My mentor is Chystofer Benson, who was trained by Damien Carney. Damien was trained by Trevor Sorbie, who was trained by Sassoon. This classic bob has the vision of Trevor, the precision of Damien, the explosion of color through Chrystofer, and I added my heart to it. Hair + heart = imagine.”
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Coney Island Queen: Joshua Falewitch -- “I was inspired by the music of artist Lana Del Rey, which is very light, airy and mysterious. I pulled a lot of inspiration from the energy coming from the '50s-influenced fashion. Her hair color is a beautiful rust-like shade inspired by Florence Welch. For the styling, braids are so in right now, and if you look at the popular images on Pinterest, this is what’s trending. I wanted to take what’s current in hair and fashion, but add in microcrimping and texture to put my personal twist on it on a classic look.”
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Coney Island Queen: Joshua Falewitch -- “I was inspired by the music of artist Lana Del Rey, which is very light, airy and mysterious. I pulled a lot of inspiration from the energy coming from the '50s-influenced fashion. Her hair color is a beautiful rust-like shade inspired by Florence Welch. For the styling, braids are so in right now, and if you look at the popular images on Pinterest, this is what’s trending. I wanted to take what’s current in hair and fashion, but add in microcrimping and texture to put my personal twist on it on a classic look.”
Elizabethan Decadence: Artist: Meredith Tye -- “I went through history to find powerful women, like Elizabeth I, who always wore a crown or a tiara. I wanted to create that strong silhouette, but out of women’s hair. During Elizabeth’s rein, there were restrictions in place called Sumptuary Laws—laws for clothing, colors you could wear that indicated social status and class. I drew from these laws in the lace wardrobe and to create the reds, purples and golds, colors reserved only for royalty.”
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Elizabethan Decadence: Artist: Meredith Tye -- “I went through history to find powerful women, like Elizabeth I, who always wore a crown or a tiara. I wanted to create that strong silhouette, but out of women’s hair. During Elizabeth’s rein, there were restrictions in place called Sumptuary Laws—laws for clothing, colors you could wear that indicated social status and class. I drew from these laws in the lace wardrobe and to create the reds, purples and golds, colors reserved only for royalty.”
Southwestern Sunset: Artist: Natalie Fox -- “Shaved hair, chalking and graphics are so on trend right now—my inspiration came from that, but, instead, using colored rubs to create the same effect on slickedback hair. I used the southwest sunset as inspiration for the color, and was infl uenced by the Mayan calendar coming to an end in 2012—which many look to as a premonition of change and new beginnings.”
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Southwestern Sunset: Artist: Natalie Fox -- “Shaved hair, chalking and graphics are so on trend right now—my inspiration came from that, but, instead, using colored rubs to create the same effect on slickedback hair. I used the southwest sunset as inspiration for the color, and was infl uenced by the Mayan calendar coming to an end in 2012—which many look to as a premonition of change and new beginnings.”
Visions of Light: Artist: Suzy Henningsgard -- “This look all started with my brother, a rock ‘n’ roll, heavy metal guy. He has the most-gorgeous long, Italian hair and when he listens to music he whips it around. My inspiration is visions of light, and the way textured hair looks with light shining through it.”
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Visions of Light: Artist: Suzy Henningsgard -- “This look all started with my brother, a rock ‘n’ roll, heavy metal guy. He has the most-gorgeous long, Italian hair and when he listens to music he whips it around. My inspiration is visions of light, and the way textured hair looks with light shining through it.”
Opaque Asymmetry: Artist: Timmy Willy -- “My initial inspiration for this shoot came from the perfection seen on mannequins at clothing stores. And the red hair choice came from being recognized through my own red hair. This represents society conforming through make-up, fashion and perfection. But the hair represents, “Be unexpected, be yourself and, ultimately, be remembered.”
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Opaque Asymmetry: Artist: Timmy Willy -- “My initial inspiration for this shoot came from the perfection seen on mannequins at clothing stores. And the red hair choice came from being recognized through my own red hair. This represents society conforming through make-up, fashion and perfection. But the hair represents, “Be unexpected, be yourself and, ultimately, be remembered.”
5 Degrees of Separation: Todd Kane -- “My concept is 5 Degrees of Separation from Vidal Sassoon. My mentor is Chystofer Benson, who was trained by Damien Carney. Damien was trained by Trevor Sorbie, who was trained by Sassoon. This classic bob has the vision of Trevor, the precision of Damien, the explosion of color through Chrystofer, and I added my heart to it. Hair + heart = imagine.”
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5 Degrees of Separation: Todd Kane -- “My concept is 5 Degrees of Separation from Vidal Sassoon. My mentor is Chystofer Benson, who was trained by Damien Carney. Damien was trained by Trevor Sorbie, who was trained by Sassoon. This classic bob has the vision of Trevor, the precision of Damien, the explosion of color through Chrystofer, and I added my heart to it. Hair + heart = imagine.”

In 2011, Matrix launched Spread the Love—a competition that selects six recent beauty school graduates to participate in a six-month-long adventure—traveling the country to interact with the industry, from stylists, salon owners and supply store owners, to educators, manufacturers and marketers. Each is mentored by Matrix Artistic Directors, while on the road, on stage at trade shows or, in this case, on set at a photoshoot.

At the beginning of Spread the Love 2012’s journey, the six “ambassadors” were tasked with brainstorming a photoshoot concept, and working throughout the remaining months of their service to flesh out that concept and, the culmination of their journey, execute it on set with MODERN SALON.

Hair: Spread the Love Team 2012
Photography: Joseph Cartright
Make-up: Danielle Donahue
Fashion styling: Rod Novoa

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