Aveda Recieves Top Honors at NAHA + The Liquid Life Presentation

This was a special year for Aveda at the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) in Las Vegas on July 9, 2017. The brand congratulates three of their artists for winning top honors and celebrates another nine who were nominated for their photo collections.

NAHA recognizes technical excellence and artistic expression in hairdressing, as well as salon design aesthetic and beauty business acumen. There were 12 finalists from the Aveda network in the 2017 competition.

Aveda recognizes Heggy Gonzalez, Creative Director, Inspire Greatness Aveda Institutes Denver, Phoenix, Provo and Tucson, who won Editorial Stylist of the Year; Diana Skrabanek, Ruiz Salon, Austin, Texas, who won Styling/Finishing; and Aisling Campbell, Aveda Institute Tucson who won Student Hairstylist of the Year.

Gonzalez who was beyond excited, accepted her award noting that she had entered the competition every year since she was a student in 1999. She thanked her Aveda family and shared that her greatest passion in life is giving back to the industry as an Aveda Educator. Later in the evening, Campbell, a mentee of Gonzalez’s won for her work coming out of the Aveda Institute Tucson.

“To the amazing institute Inspire Greatness, I’m so blessed and honored to be part of this family and tribe,” Campbell said in her speech. Like many in the Aveda network who give back to the world we live in, Campbell also spoke about her work with the Gospel Rescue Mission, a women’s and children’s center in Tucson, and how the women inspire her every day to be determined and to succeed.

Skrabanek graciously and delightfully accepted her award for Styling and Finishing, a category that draws attention to detail and skill in the ability to craft hair for a special vision. She thanked all her supporters, including her biggest mentor Allen Ruiz, Aveda Global Artistic Director, Hair Styling.

Gonzalez, Skrabanek and Campbell were three of 12 Aveda Artists nominated for the 28th Annual awards ceremony, produced by the Professional Beauty Association (PBA). The NAHAs took place in front of a crowd of more than 3,000 beauty professionals in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and is considered the leading photographic hairstyling and beauty competition in North America.

LIQUID LIFE
Aveda’s five model theatrical presentation Liquid Life at NAHA, led by Aveda Global Creative Director Antoinette Beenders, set the precedence early in the evening for showcasing stunning couture hair styling, as inspired by the Aveda network’s passion to the Aveda Mission and protecting clean water.

“Liquid Life is an homage to our incredible network of artists who work diligently to protect clean water throughout the world, every April, during Earth month and beyond. Since 2007, the Aveda network, along with our guests, have raised more than $50 million dollars for clean water, and I am in absolute awe of our network’s dedication, passion and drive to caring for our planet.”