Katie Manselle returns to the international stage in London to represent North America at the International Wella Trend Vision Awards on Oct. 14.
Katie Manselle returns to the international stage in London to represent North America at the International Wella Trend Vision Awards on Oct. 14.
Manselle receives her trophy onstage for her 2015 North American Wella Trend Vision Award.
Manselle receives her trophy onstage for her 2015 North American Wella Trend Vision Award.
Hair by Katie Manselle
Hair by Katie Manselle

Photo courtesy of

Katie Manselle
A look from the NYFW presentation of Ottolinger.
A look from the NYFW presentation of Ottolinger.
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Katie Manselle returns to the international stage in London to represent North America at the International Wella Trend Vision Awards on Oct. 14.
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Katie Manselle returns to the international stage in London to represent North America at the International Wella Trend Vision Awards on Oct. 14.
Manselle receives her trophy onstage for her 2015 North American Wella Trend Vision Award.
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Manselle receives her trophy onstage for her 2015 North American Wella Trend Vision Award.
Hair by Katie Manselle
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Hair by Katie Manselle

Photo courtesy of

Katie Manselle
A look from the NYFW presentation of Ottolinger.
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Slider
A look from the NYFW presentation of Ottolinger.

Katie Manselle (@katiemhair) is a master stylist and color specialist in Durham, North Carolina who will be representing North America at the Wella Professionals InternationalTrendVision Awards in London on Oct. 14. This hairdressing challenge attracts talent from around the world and Manselle will attend for the second time--she also won the gold in the Color Vision category in 2015--and we had to ask: how did you do it and what does it feel like to be stepping onto the international stage, again.

MS: This is your second win—congrats!  What did you do differently this time, if anything, from the first time?

KM: Thank you! To win a second time is an even bigger honor to me than the first because it cancels out the little question in your mind if your first win was perhaps just luck. I celebrate my team in both cases! I think this time around, as we have worked together for four years, we were more willing to go with our gut and our ideas of aesthetic instead of worrying too much about whether it would be appealing. There were a few decisions we made that were risky in the sense that they went outside of the box, and in the end we decided to just go with our gut because we believed in it, and we concluded that the worst case would be we wouldn't win but would still love the look. Best case would be we would create something we believed in and would win.  Thankfully our risks paid off!

MS: How do you feel going into the international competition and—same question—what did you learn from the last time in Berlin that you will apply to this time in London?

KM: I am SO excited to go to the international platform. Last time I left just literally praying I could return to the international bracket because I was able to see how that arena is so different from North America. Berlin was amazing and I had no idea what it would entail- but experience is our best teacher and I learned so much. This time I will take the knowledge I learned in Berlin and apply it to London. One thing I learned in Berlin that will be applied is just to really create a soft look that is wearable instead of a look that is editorial but not tangible for our guests. Also, I have incorporated more of my story in this year's look- living in the south, that is woven into our look so that instead of just creating something that is beautiful, it has heart behind it. This year's look feels more authentic to me.

 MS: You have been in Paris Fashion Week—how exciting!   Talk about that, a little bit.

KM: I have had the privilege to be a part of New York Fashion Week for the past few years, but this year I also did Paris Fashion Week. It was incredible! I was able to work with amazing hair stylists from all over the world, to do shows for big fashion labels such as Nina Ricci and Hermes, as well as more independent labels such as Ottolinger and Wendy and Jim. I love, love, LOVE editorial and runway experiences. I love working on teams to create a look together, and being a part of hair and fashion on a bigger scale. 

MS: Why do you think entering Wella TrendVision is a good idea for a hairdresser?

KM: Everyone in my salon (Culture Hair Studio) is required to enter Wella Trend Vision. I do this because I believe it is so valuable on a few levels. It teaches you how to take inspiration and interpret it with your own ideas of beauty (because everyone is different!), it causes you to connect with photographers, makeup artists, fashion designers and to learn how to work in a group. It trains your eye; when I first started entering (four years ago), I was relatively new to editorial photo shoots so I didn't quite understand how to translate hair/silhouette/etc onto the camera. But every year we have taken away key aspects to help us in the next and now I am much more aware of the smallest detail because they tend to make the biggest impact. I think it also really helps stylists to explore color in a way that is playful and non-traditional; this improves your skills as a colorist because you gain so much knowledge through exploring. Simply put, it will make you a better hairstylist!

Save the Date!

October 14th, Wella Professionals International Trend Vision Awards will be broadcast live from London. Visit the Wella Professional Facebook page to watch this must-see event in hairdressing and cheer on the North American finalists: www.facebook.com/wellausa

Event begins at 6:30 am PST │ 8:30 am CT │ 9:30 am EST

2:30 pm (BTS)

USA

Color Vision: Katie Manselle, Culture Hair Studio, Durham, NC

Creative Vision: Shirley Gordon, Strands Hair Studio, Wheaton, MD

 

Canada

Color Vision: John Carreiro, Carriero The Studio, Victoria, BC

Creative Vision: Daniel Grieco, Salon Gaboa, Maple, ON

 

Puerto Rico

Color Vision: Jose Quinones, Peter Cardon Salon, San Juan, PR

Creative Vision: Gold: Glory Aviles, U Salon, Toa Baja, PR

Don’t forget to vote for your fan favorite!

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