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SEARCHAfter narrowing down thousands of special-occasion styles to our favorite 10, we challenged semifinalists to create their best holiday-ready styles, and Ulta Beauty Senior Designer Galyna Poczciwinski is the winner of the Haute Holiday contest!
"This look gets me with the detailing," says Artist Collective member and judge Alexa Grace Chwarzynski. "The zipper braid down the center catches my eye right away. It's perfect for that person who still wants something secure and pinned but is down!"
MODERN launched our Haute Holiday competition in September to promote industry artistry and name one of YOU as the newest member of our exclusive 2017 Artist Collective (which includes @theconfessionsofahairstylist, @alexfaction, @taylor_lamb_hair, @antestradahair and @ay_graceamong others).
Our 2017 Haute Holiday grand-prize winner is... Galyna Poczciwinski!
Milford, Connecticut-based Poczciwinski was initially selected by MODERN SALON editors as one of 10 semifinalists from thousands of entries. The 10 seminfinalists were sent a gift box with goodies from Kenra, Agadir, Pink Pewter, Lakme, X-Fusion by Toppik, Moroccanoil,Living Proof and Hot Tools, and they were tasked with creating a beautiful holiday style. Our Artist Collective judged those entries and narrowed them to five finalists.
The five finalists had to create a New-Years-Eve-ready style using at least one product from our Challenge Box sponsored by Fave4, TIGIand Ulta Beauty. And you, MODERN SALON readers, voted for our winner!
"I love how she created structure and softness," says Artist Collective member and judge Antonio Estrada. "It's a look that is totally trending, but she added an element of surprise."
As the Haute Holiday winner, Poczciwinski is being named the newest member of MODERN SALON’s exclusive Artist Collective, will be recognized in an upcoming issue of MODERN SALON magazine and has received more than $2,000 worth of products and tools from professional beauty brands.
We want say CONGRATULATIONS to Galyna Poczciwinski for her beautiful styles—it's a title well-earned! All the entries, semifinalist submissions and finalist submissions have been inspiring, and we also congratulate all those who have been a part of the competition.
Enormous thanks to all the Haute Holiday sponsors; they really sweetened the pot with amazing products and tools to send to our semifinalists and finalists, and the contest wouldn't have been possible without their support!
If you want to see how we got from thousands of entries to one winner, be sure to check out all our photo galleries!
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Enter to win the same professional products from our partners CHI, GOLDWELL, Denman, and Viviscal PRO when you enter the #modernsalon100 Box Giveaway.
The ABS Global Image Awards honor creativity, artistry, and dedication in the beauty industry, recognizing both emerging and seasoned professionals for their talent and innovative work.
Congratulations to the finalists of the 2025 Global Image Awards!
Enter to win the same professional products from our partners CHI, GOLDWELL, KERASILK, Innersense Beauty, milk_shake, Ouidad, Pure Brazillian, Salonory, and Viviscal PRO when you enter the #modernsalon100 Box Giveaway.
GlossGenius's HallowGenius competition invites beauty professionals to enter their best Halloween look for the chance to win a $1,000 beauty gift card.
This year, our annual design competition names a Grand-Prize Winner, a Barbershop of the Year, a School of the Year, a New Talent Salon of the Year and a Specialty Salon of the Year, as well as 19 other gorgeous honorees. Tour each of their spaces, as the owners detail their design choices. Brought to you by Minerva Beauty.
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Now that all of the 2024 SALON TODAY 200 have been revealed, we put the entire list together in one spot for you. Here, the team from Frangipani Salon in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, celebrate with confetti.
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We're on a roll! On the 7th Day of our 2024 SALON TODAY 200, we introduce you to the honorees in two categories--technology and environmental sustainability. These tech-savvy honorees leverage the latest tools to automate and streamline their processes and communications, while green-minded honorees, including April Wetzel of Sunbeam Studio in Louisville, Colorado, make strategic decisions that better the world around them.
